Skyward Sword: Not as Planned
by Dark Glass01
Summary: Sometimes, fate isn't as powerful as it thinks. When a mundane accident causes Link's demise, the mantle of the hero is going to have to settle for whomever happens to be close by, even if they're completely unqualified. -Update on the 16th!
1. Prologue: The Story of a Rock

Before life began, in the dark depths of space, the world was there, and endless Potential, yet lacking the form to recognize that Potential. No sun shined over this world, or any plant growing from the ground, had there been any ground for it to grow on. Yet, out from the edges of this chaos there emerged three golden figures; goddesses of unknown origin.

The first was Din, whose figure was swollen and hot from the strong, burning fire, who used her Power to force the Potential into the elements of the world, creating both the solid and burning earth. One such piece of earth, a greyish stone of no particular importance, was placed deep within the top layer of that world, away from both the searing heat of the depths and the eroding airs of the surface.

The next was Nayru, still and slim, who examined the Form that Din had created and gave it laws, telling each and every element what it must and must not do, forming the natural laws both seen and not seen. By her words do the fires burn, the air give life, and the water fall from the sky. To this stone she gave the direction of stillness, to be hard and unyielding, except when acted upon by another force for long enough.

Finally came Farore, a wild deity, full of life and energy. Dancing about the earth, she spread her essence, granting a spark of life to the fertile soil, spreading the first seeds and molding the first animals out of clay, breathing her own breath into them to grant life. However, her powers did not reach as deep in the earth as the stone, and so it stayed cold and lifeless, never to see the light of the sun.

Their duties done, the three golden goddesses where called back by their unknown master, shedding the Form they had taken in order to manage their new world. This Form was lovingly shaped by each goddess, the three parts maintaining a fraction of their former occupant's great power. This relic would come to be known as the Triforce, and placed within a Sacred Realm, over which would one day be built the Temple of Time, far to the west of where the stone lay.

Over the course of thousands of years, the races of the world flourished; Humans, Gorons, Bokoblins, Parella, Mogma, Kikwi, and others, forging mighty empires and cities; The Goron's forming the Empire of Eldin in the north, erecting great temples in the volcanos and forging the greatest crafts on earth, Lanayru ruling the lush lands of the west, crafting powerful robots and wielding technology far more advanced than others, and the old nation of Hyrule, clustered in the center of the world, directly over the location of the rock. However, these great nations would all suffer with the rise of a demonic army, led by a great demon called Demise, who sought to find the legendary Triforce and obtain the power of a true deity. The great empires where laid waste, and it was only by the courage of the Goddess Hylia and her champions, a mighty Goron warrior from the Empire and a technology master form Lanayru. As the people of the surface fought these minions, great pits where dug in the earth to seek out stone for defenses, and the stone was eventually revealed to the air, just as the quarry it was buried in came under attack. In the great battle that ensued, in which the demonic hoards reigned victorious, the stone took a glancing blow form a falling hammer; not a lot, just enough to cause a microscopic crack that nobody could see.

Eventually, when the demon forces seamed on the verge of victory, the Goddess Hylia rounded up the remaining humans onto a large chunk of earth, including the stone, and raised it up above the clouds, beyond the reach of the hordes, in hopes that some of the world might yet be saved. However, her champions rallied the Eldin Empire and Lanaryu, bringing them to the point of collapse, but never the less defeating the hoard once and for all, sealing away Demise with all the power they could muster.

In the sky, the great chunks of earth carried the humans on for many centuries, eventually leading them to forget of that world below the clouds. They knew nothing of Din, Nayru, or Farore; only the Goddeess Hylia, who held dominion over the sky, and erected on their land a great statue of her, using all the grey stone they could fine to construct it. Yet, in the process of pulling it out, a drop of water seeped into the microscopic crack in the stone, not a lot, but it slowly and surely began to wear away on the rock even as it was placed on the inner ceiling of the statue's secret chamber, every slight wind blowing the water about a bit more and eroding a little more of the stone, who's dust now started to erode the crack more, growing over hundreds of years. It still remained in the statue, yes, but it was very unstable, and even the slightest disturbance may cause it to fall.

Just as Nayru intended stone to work


	2. Chapter I: Life as it Was

-Author Notes- First and foremost. This story is not about Link. Don't sue me.

As my first submission to the Fan Fiction community, I would like to present to you a little story that I'm working on. Please note that I'm not completely done with Skyward Sword, so some inconsistences may occur. I've done my best to stick to the spirit of the game, but I deviate at times. Rated T for violence and potential romantic scenes later. Complements are appreciated, but constructive criticism is even better.

The island of Skyloft; a small cluster of stone and dirt that lifts itself high above the storm-wracked layer of clouds beneath. How high, none alive could say, or indeed cared to know. The place's history is a most confusing thing; the few dusty books not even knowing how long their people have been in the air, or indeed that that there was any other place to be. What little lore they did have was shrouded in the mists of myth, with most tales suggesting ancient rulers that lived for centuries, slaying sky-beasts that never existed or, if they did, had gone extinct years before. Far better, the average Skylander thought, to leave such questions for the great whale Leviathis to ponder, and let the sleepy city plod along in peace.

In many people's opinion, the sleepiest place of all was The Lumpy Pumpkin; a lived in, quaint pub of sorts clinging to one of the large bits of land off Skyloft proper. For most of the day its owner, Pumm, and his daughter Kina tended to the place in the same way it had been tended to for decades, cooking up the signature pumpkin soup and dusting the paint-chipped wood, serving the small number of and leisure fliers who stopped for a rest. However, if you visited the place before dusk, just as the first hints of orange and pink tinted the sky, there would sometimes be a little spark, something slightly out of the ordinary, as the peak hours rolled in.

Tonight was not one of those times, and understandably so. The trainees at the Knight Acadamy where ordinarily a major part of the energy, but with the Wing Ceremony planned for tomorrow, they'd be getting in as much extra flying time out of the evening as possible, not weighing themselves down with food. So, under the light of the glimmering chandler, there were only the die-hard regulars; the boy Keet and Rusta, the town coot, along the less frequent patrons: Orielle, Knight Commander Eagus, and a slightly depressed-looking young man, thin of frame and dressed in knee-high breeches and a midnight blue longshirt, starring thoughtfully into his soup bowl.

"Master Eagus," Keet tilted his bottle a bit as he made a respectful gesture towards the knight. "What's the line up looking like for the Ceremony tomorrow?" It was an honest question, well meant and innocent, but the strange boy's grip on his spoon tightened slightly, his eyes focusing on a particularly interesting bit of herb.

"Can't say for certain," Eagus shrugged, talking half to himself. "I've been pushing that boy Pipit to at least give it a go, but he just doesn't seem to have the stuff," A slightly remorseful look crossed his face, before he regained his composure and continued. "Other then that, we've got Groose, Cawlin, Strich, and Link. Not the best I've seen, but good boys."

"I've seen Groose flying about a lot lately," Orielle chimed in softly, a bit of black under her eyes, hands loose on the bowl. "He's got to be in the best shape by now. Link on the other hand…" sounding not quite sure with herself, she paused there, taking in a mouthful of soup as an excuse.

"The boy does have talent," Eagus pointed out, sliding his empty bottle away with one hand while beckoning for another round with the other. "Admittedly, he hasn't been training as much as I would have liked, but I wouldn't count him out just yet. That Loftwing of his is truly amazing."

"A Loftwing aen't nothing with a bad rider," Rusta forced his way into the conversation, voice crackling a bit, before letting out a deep, rancid belch. "Seen it more times than any of you youngsters. Some green kid jumps off a diving platform and gives a little whistle, thinking he can just land on his bird, before"

"Your soup, Commander," Kina conveniently stepped in, setting down another bottle of soup on the table. "We'll just put it on your tab, alright?"

" Ah yes," Eagus's hand rummaged into his wallet for a moment, taking a general feel, Keet taking the chance to speak up. "Link isn't that kind of boy though," He started to lead the conversation back. "When he flies, it's for real. The material knights are made out of. You were a bit of bit of a slacker in your own day, weren't you Eagus?" Laugher soon filled the table, a fist coming down and rattling about the bowls and bottles. Yet, the boy remained silent, giving only a slight cough as the noise started to die down, the conversation stopping enough for him to speak.

"I'm not sure," the words came out solemnly, his voice smooth and quick. "Link knows his stuff, though. If somebody has to win, I'd rather it be him." With that, the boy stood up, turned away, and headed for the exit, letting in a short, pleasant breeze as he opened the doors.

For everybody else, the disruption was quickly forgotten, and the place fell back into and evening lull. Yet, for the boy, it was not over, and as he tossed himself into the air, grabbing onto a slightly scrawny, burgundy Loftwing, the fact that his name was not spoken that night kept haunting his flight.

That name was Cana, Cana Reis.


	3. Chapter II: Fate Marches On

His sleep was short and dreamless.

Cana awoke the next morning lying atop his Loftwing, the soft feathers almost mistakable for a bed if you where sleepy enough. The light fell down on his groggy eyes, squinted to protect themselves, as he shifted himself up and off the bird. The world around him started to take shape… this was an island, Skyloft's distinct size plainly lit by the rising sun. "Hey boy, you holding up?" he looked down at his Loftwing, who was just pushing itself back onto its feet. "Of course, you can't tell me," Cana responded to the silence, giving his arms a good stretch. The bird just tilted its head forward, wings expanding slightly. The air was a bit thick today, perfect for flying.

Then the day's event hit him again, and with a slight sigh, he slung himself back onto the Loftwing, legs dug in for flight, giving the rick kick to send the bird soaring.

Flying was a bit of a difficult sensation to describe, especially on a Loftwing, but Cana took to it rather well, his hair flying back as he moved through the air, like short wisps of black smoke. That's what he liked best, feeling his hair try to blow away, and it was well worth the occasional breath of cloud-dust. Skyloft approached him rather quickly, the people below taking on distinct shapes and going about their daily routines. Pulling a bit around the neck, Cana lead his Loftwing to the diving platform around the plaza, the wings pumping closer to his face as the bird let itself down.

"Good boy," his fingers ran under the bird's neck, lightly rubbing the slightly downier feathers there, his feet taking to the feel of solid wood beneath him. The latent connection between Loftwing and master probed at his mind, telling him that bird liked that, and he watched as the noble beast returned to the air, a pulse of air blowing past his face as the wings pushed it.

The plaza was a bit empty at the moment, though Groose and his pair of lackeys where hanging around, joking amongst themselves. They didn't look as he passed by, his eyes looking at nothing in particular, engrossed in his own thoughts. The air smelled earthy, a sign that the pumpkin harvest was coming soon, the heart flowers and stamina fruit already in bloom. A perfect day just to take a walk, he thought. He wandered up the river shore, a cluster of gossiping hens hogging the bridge and incessantly chattering. He wandered past The Bazaar, the normally vibrant building closed up for the Ceremony. He even took a short trip up towards the Academy, the Instructor Horwelle playing with a small cat. The Academy itself, second only to The Goddess's statue in the hearts of the city, he regarded with a wistful, yet slightly annoyed look, one hand on his hips the other hanging loosely, the sound of wood thumping down coming from the sparring hall.

"Ehem," somebody cleared their throat just off to the side, Cana turning his head slightly to catch the source of the sound.

"Hello Karane," he tossed out passively, recognizing her presence. "Can I help you?"

Smiling innocently, Karane shifted her stance, the breeze blowing up the hem of her tunic slightly. "Actually, there is. I'm glad to see somebody finally noticed. " For a moment, there was silence, the two just looking at each other, Horwell cooing to Mia in the background.

"Oh," he finally dawned on it, the spark in her eyes. Walking over, he drew one of the great wooden doors open, catching the slight bob of her fiery hair. He motioned towards the door, watching her walk, stopping at the opening to give her a wide smile.

"That's so chiv…" she stopped herself, hand coming over her mouth. "Gentlemanly of you. Certainly better then Link." She did look a bit flustered, Cana's look telling her all she needed to know.

The door stayed open, neither of moving until Cana decided to break the silence. "Speaking of Link, shouldn't you be down in the plaza?" He inquired, his free hand smoothing out the light wrinkles in his longshirt. "The Ceremony should be starting fairly soon." There was another conversation going on down by the sparring hall, but Cana couldn't see who it was. One of the voices sounded a bit like Pipit's, but he couldn't bet sure.

"You'd think so, but there's been a bit of an issue with Link's Loftwing. The exam has been delayed until its solved. Looks like he's working on it right now, in fact." Her eyes looked over his shoulder, catching something he did not. Straightening her back, she walked into the building, face a bit less annoyed then before. "If you can though, make sure to catch the Ceremony when it does happen. Its quite a show of knighthood they put on out there."

Though her face grew a bit red as she realized her mistake, he didn't give her a chance to correct herself. "Perhaps I will," he stated flatly, his anger pressing up a bit inside. "Us non-knights need a bit to excitement in our lives." With that the door closed, and he continued onward.

On his way back to the plaza, Cana subdued that anger, forcing it down with a few deep breaths, but still it smoldered. "Why in the sky," he mumbled to himself for the umpteenth time, eyes on the ground. "Just when I think I can get away, there it is." Passing the river once again, the women having broken up their gaggle, he passed over the bridge, the people mulling about in delayed excitement. However, their was one person moving quickly, just across the lake, entering the caves. Whomever he was, he hoped they had a weapon with them.

In the darkness of the Chamber of the Goddess, a slight sheen of cerulean light started to glow.

_Chronological trigger 001 has been reached._ An entity thought to itself, its senses slowly starting to take in the world around it, its sight covered in a thin sheen of purple. _Open area dimensions- 100x100x25 ft. Oxygen level- Breathable. Light levels- Substandard. Fire will be required._ The light pulsed rapidly, almost as if alive, yet made no sound. _Environment hospitable to human life, now awaiting chronological trigger 002. Twelve hour waiting time._

The pulse slowly whimpered out, and the light went with it, leaving the sword cloaked in darkness.

"Come on Link!" One voice shouted from atop The Light Tower. "You can do this!"

"Show that fool your tailfeathers Groose!" Another chimed in, this one a bit further back.

The town had mustered around the plaza over the course of the past few hours, impatient to see the Wing Ceremony. The participants all stood at the ready, still with anticipation, lips pursed for the inevitable whistle. Karane was there, watching heartfully, but still sparing a few glances around, eyes never quite going over Cana, who had sat himself down among the heart flowers, half-heartedly nibbling at a piece of stamina fruit, battling his own demons. The cheering stopped, everybody's eyes moving towards Orwelle as he raised his fingers to his lips, letting out a shrill whistle, the Academy students dashing forward like men possessed, diving off the platform only to appear moments later atop their Loftwings, much to the delight of the crowds.

Quickly, the birds started to flap off into the distance, chasing the minuscule glint of gold, diving and weaving in a sort of dance, the crowd chattering in excitement, almost everybody crowding closer to the edge of the city to catch a better glimpse. Groose's golden Loftwing and Link's Crimson seemed to stay close the whole time, neither willing to give up on the statue, Taking other chunk off the plant, Cana watched intently, trying to sort through the jealousy he was feeling.

"Cana," a softer voice spoke, never really touch his ear but more floating past. "That is your name, right?"

Turning his head, eyes slightly glazed, Cana recognized Zelda, just to his side, leaning over and adorned in her ceremonial cloths; for the Goddess Ceremony afterwards, no doubt. "You're right," his voice was a little empty, lost in all his other thoughts. "What's up?" He rotated the fruit absentmindedly, head tilting slightly so he could still catch the action.

There was a hint of something in Zelda's eyes; pity of confusion he couldn't say, but she only missed a single beat before going on. "Not really in the spirit of things this year, are we?"

"No," his reply was short and simple, rising back up to his feet so he didn't have to look up at her. "Can't say I am." In the distance, Link almost got his hands on the statue, but appeared to be blown off by a stray gust, a sound of disappointment coming from the crowd alongside many cheers. "After all, watching is usually less fun then doing." He sounded a bit jaded, eyes leaving the contest only sparingly to meet with Zelda's. It appeared as though she tried to speak , but was drowned out by a roar from the audience, leaving her to wait for a moment to move before she spoke, the voice coming from his side.

"It's obvious you wanted to be out there," It sounded almost like an apology; he now had no doubt it was pity. "Just face it though. Not everybody was destined to be a knight."

In the end, it was Link who won, presenting the statue back to the instructor in his typical silent fashion. Cana had watched as the competition thickened, something starting to fly through the air between the Loftwing The whole crowd had been boxed together at the top of the Light Tower by the end, trying to get the best view they could. Link must have jumped off the Goddess statue sometime later too, as was tradition, but nobody showed up for that. Nobody was allowed to see him do that.

However, a few hours later, nobody had seen them anyways.


	4. Chapter III: The Unexpected

**Author Notes- I would like to apologize for the delay. Sinus infections can take a lot out of a guy. **

**Also, thank you for the reviews! **

Nobody noticed at first.

It wasn't unusual for people not to be seen for hours or occasionally days at a time, if they were old enough to ride their Loftwing. There was simply so much empty sky to fly through and islands to explore that a person could keep themselves occupied for that long, especially if they were going off with somebody else. People did notice a rather heavily covered knight flying up with a figure draped over his Loftwing, but that was just him doing his job; not even close to abnormal enough for worry.

Instead, there was celebration.

All around town, cupboards where opened and bottles of juiced stamina fruit; the closest thing to alcohol Skyloft had, where broken out half in celebration for the Ceremony, half for the desire to simply celebrate. The noise of clinking glass and boisterous laughter seemed to almost permeate the town, becoming as much a part of it as the rock or the buildings. It gave the whole place an aura of cheer, a bit of urbanism in the otherwise pastoral community.

A vast majority of this sound was radiating from the Bazar, as might have been expected. After all, it was the only building in town large enough to host a party of any real size, since the Lumpy Pumpkin couldn't be reached at night. It was hardly recognizable, after everybody had put their hand to it; the potion shop having had its display pots moved all around, filled to the brim with juiced stamina potion, the gaudy decorations stored in the western side brought out and strung, the gear generally laid out replaced with snacks of all stripes, and Sparrot's crystal ball surrounded by candles, sending out flickering beams of light in all directions. It was the sort of place anybody could go and feel welcome, drown away their troubles, and get a fresh start in the morning.

So, obviously, this is where Cana had decided to go, and watch.

Sitting, slouching over slightly, his eyes wandered about the building from the safety of his spot atop the Scrap Shop's usual counter, taking in all the trouble people managed to get themselves into. Peatrice had drunk at least five bottles of juice by now, and the twitching and fidgeting had already begun, her chair rattling on the slab beneath her. Beedle stood out quite a bit too, having taken the night off and trying to dance around on his already tired legs, though he had to admit there where rather impressive. Even the ordinarily cloistered Greba had decided to attend her son Gondo tonight, her hands still wet and wrinkly from all the laundry she'd done. It was a sport he took part in often, something he called "people watching". It didn't take any special skills or training, just two eyes and a sense of humor.

"Go Beedle!" Pipit gave a good whistle as Beedle swung to the ground, spinning himself on his admittedly bulbous head. The whole dance floor started to attempt the same thing, most of the patrons "drunkenly" failing with rather humorous crashes to the ground, followed by streams of laughter. After Dodoh tried and failed, bouncing back up on his massive belly and his clown-like face giving a grin, even Cana couldn't help laughing along with them, almost falling back off the counter as he did so.

"Thank you!" Beedle graciously joked in his trademark voice as he bounced back to his feet, bowing to much applause, a few green rupees flying in his direction. Convinced by his own participation, Cana jumped up onto his feet, heading in the general direction of the floor and scooping up a serving of juice on his way over, walking firmly and confidently.

"Hey Jakamar," Gondo yelled out to the lanky artist, swinging his surprised mother into his arms. "Let's get us something a little slow for the youngins!" An almost universal call of approval followed, although it sounded like it was fueled by the juice more than anything else. Jakamar, leaning over his fiddle, looked a bit concerned by this, scratching at his temple and wetting his lips.

"Can't say I'm very good at that," he admitted, shrugging helplessly, spinning the instrument on his lap. "You may want to bring in Zelda. She's the one who's good with that kind of thing."

"But she isen't here right now," Peatrice looked up from the table, speaking quickly and amusedly. "Because she's out with Link to get a little alone time, isn't she? I bet she is, that little…"

"Whooo," Eagus's hand slapped down onto her, leading her to look up, eyes a bit too wide for her face. "Maybe you've been hitting it a bit too hard. I'll get you home, ok?" With something that was a half grunt, half squeal, Peatrice set on him, jumping up and pushing him back, laughing slightly hysterically, disrupted only when she stopped to hiccup. It was a rather humorous fight; his fist coming up to her shoulder, her trying to kick him in the shins only to wince when she hit metal, and then Eagus finally putting her down with a solid blow to the arm, sending her spinning giddily into the gear shop, a small pile of Deku seeds falling down and hitting her head in rapid succession, her head rolling back in a sound knockout.

"My shop!" Rupin pranced over, hopping angrily as he scooped up several more of his fallen supplies, panting in fright. Taking the bundle of arrows and shields, he looked over at Eagus, spitting a bit with his speech. "Get this woman out of here!" A vain throbbed in his forehead, showing he was serious.

"Alrightly," Eagus smiled, patting Rupin on the head. "Don't get all hopping mad about this." The joke would have fallen relatively flat most of the time, but to the pipped state of the audience, it came off as a riot, nearly everybody falling over themselves. "Now," he looked out, waving to the general area. "Is anybody sober enough to help me out?"

With that, the sound died, as people started to look at one another, half the eyes in the room twitching and the other have sunk. Clearly, nearly the entire place had taken more than their fair share off the bottle, and just decided to ignore him, going back to their revelry. After a few moments, of waiting, Eagus was about to hoist her over his shoulder and go out alone when a hand touched his shoulder.

"I've only had one," Cana looked up as Eagus turned his head, removing his hand from the shoulder and instead lifting up Peatrice's arms. "Somebody's got to keep the Remlit away, right?" Smiling genuinely, he watched as Eagus silently took her feet, hoisting the women up into the air, her middle sagging slightly as they pulled aside the curtain, Eagus leading the way out into the cold dark night.

The air washed over them as they headed out, the light from the torches revealing the river in the distance. "So," Cana finally spoke, trying to start up conversation to distract from the weight that he was starting to feel on his arms. "Link's going to be in the senior class, eh?"

Eagus didn't respond for a moment, though he made a little noise under his breath that made it clear he was worried. "He might be," he mused, trying to sound strong. "I talked to the headmaster earlier, told me Link had gotten into a nasty competition with a tornado and lost." A Chu Chu slid along the sidewalk on the other side of the river, Eagus instinctually trying to reach for his sword before remembering he had Peatrice in his arms. "Still," he continued, Cana recovering his balance from the little maneuver. "He's a strong kid, he'll get through."

"He sure is," Cana nodded, blinking once, catching something in the corner of his eye. What had that been. His head swung to the left, eyes turning downward to the ledges below the Statue of the Goddess. "You see that?" he stopped walking, following the blue light as it floated across the outcropping, a shadow skirting along the edges of it.

"That Chu Chu?" Eagus inquired, turning his own head around, eyes going sharp as he looked at it. "That's," he stuttered out the word, voice tinged with confusion. "That's certainly strange. I better go check it out," Sliding Peatrice's legs to the ground, the Commander drew his blade, taking a single step forward before Cana moved into his way, Peatrice mumbling slightly as he dragged her across the ground.

"Hold it," he almost commanded, feeling a sense of excitement swelling inside of him. This was his chance : he wasn't going to mess it up. "I can't carry her on my own. Why don't you let me handle this one? I mean, how bad can it be?" He spoke persuasively, Eagus listening intently, sword returning to his scabbard as he nodded understandingly.

"Alright," he gave it, slinging Peatrice up into a cradle of arms. "Go on ahead. Take care though." Walking slightly bow-legged from the weight, he took his way towards the river, Cana watching as the chill of the night started to nip at his skin. Turning around, Cana dashed his way up towards the statue, thankful for the extra energy shot his bottle had given him.

The gate was supposed to be shut at night, though Cana had never understood the reason why; there was nothing valuable to steal, and the monsters didn't bother to come near there anyway. Ordinarily, Pipit would close it while doing his rounds, but since he was a little "distracted" at the moment, the iron bars stood wide open, the ground quit and serine. For a moment, Cana paused to absorb the holiness of it all, eyes closed and spirit centered, worries washing away. Then, there was the sound of stone underfoot, and he opened his eyes to see the light vanish into the base of the Goddess statue, the stone melting away into nothingness as a familiar figure watched, running into the hole created.

"Link?" Cana mumbled quizzically to himself as he followed, walking slowly towards the opening, sticking in one hand first, and then stepping in, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the tunnel. For a moment, there was only darkness, before he emerged into a great lit chamber, Link standing before the source of the light; A cerulean, caped, flawlessly smooth figure, hovering in the air before him, Link bending over slightly as if to grab something.

"Link!" Cana yelled out forcefully, arms pulled into himself. The sound reverberated across the room, returning to his ear several times, the sound dying out only to be replaced by that of cracking somewhere above them. One hand remaining on the item, Link pivoted to look at him, eyes meet as Cana noticed it was a sword he was gripping, wedged into the pedestal at the center of the chamber, the entity floating there, seemingly uninterested. Then, as they all stood as if frozen, a large stone descended from the ceiling, spinning slightly as if fell, landing directly on top of Link's head, one edge wedging itself into his skull.

Link spun through the air with a sort of morbid grace, pulled by the weight of the stone, rose-colored blood sprinkling from his wound and shimmering in the light cast by the figure. When the stone landed, he was swung off, a rag doll flung to the side before landing discarded towards the back wall, Cana's eyes locked onto the gap in the upper portion of his head, the stone stained red and slightly grey on one corner. A bit of vomit crept up in his throat before the reality set in, and it took all he had to swallow it back down, the glowing girl gliding onto him, feeling the wound with her shining, perfectly crafted hands.

"Master Link," her voice seemed… cold, almost as though it came from the stone rather than her. "I estimate your probability of survival at 2% and dropping. Please respond." Deathly silence filled the room as she waited for a response that would never come, Link's face rushing clear and white as the blood seeped out, minutes on end with Cana frozen in shock.

Finally, after what could have been hours for all he knew, the girl looked up, her eyes pupil-less, yet… seemingly a little sad. He wasn't quite sure how, only that she gave that impression. Her face was directed at his, hands lingering on Link's cooling body for a little longer then might have been deemed prudent, before floating back up, putting air between her feet and the now bloodied ground.

"Male human," her voice was… different somehow, though it was more of an empathetic feeling then any real intonation. "Please grant me name recognition."

Swallowing a bit of built up spit, Cana looked on with a bit of reluctance, eyes flicking back to Link's corpse. "Cana," he finally spat out, trying to compose himself. "My name is Cana."

The girl did not move, though she did seem to focus on him a bit more, arms folding in front of her. "Cana," she said, as if trying to get used to the word. "I seems that the fulfillment of my primary function will require your assistance. Please step up to the pedestal in the center of the room and remove the sword." It sounded more of an order then a request, since she couldn't really change her tone, though judging from her stance it was just the opposite. Forcing his muscles to move, Cana pushed himself forward, a bit dizzy, before laying one hand onto the hilt, savoring the feeling.

He'd always wanted a sword.

He laid his other hand around it, something swelling deep within him as I slowly pulled the metal blade out of its stone prison, the light glinting off the perfectly crafted metal. As the tip finally removed itself, itself having a bit of its own light, Cana raised it up, looking at himself in the polished metal, the weight feeling odd in his hand, though his heart leapt at it. A sword…his own sword.

"The sword you hold in your hand is known as the Goddess's Sword," the girl's voice seemed half a dream, sounding sweet and flawless as is emotions flew. "It is destined to be held by the chosen hero of The Goddess, to cleanse the world of the darkness infesting it. I am its spirit, created with the primary function of aiding the sword's wielder. I believe social custom dictates that I have a form of address. You may refer to me as Fi."

Running his hands along the smooth part of the blade, he looked forward as Fi flipped over him, landing in front with her eyes looking up into his. "As I shall refer to you as Master."


	5. Chapter IV: The Unchosen

**Author's Notes- None today.**

It seemed so, unreal

Steel, flawless steel none the less, shined in his hand, seeming to shed a light of its own. For a brief moment, the image of Link's death, the knot in his stomach and the strain in his vision, was gone. His reflection in the blade was crystal clear, and it was his, only his.

"Master," Fi finally said, after time seemed to have lost all meaning. The words didn't quite register in his head until her hand came down on the blade, the color and smoothness of her skin almost blending with the metal, slowly pushing it down to reveal her face behind. "It is logical that you may be experiencing a period of intense emotion. However, it is necessary that you listen to what I will say to you. Are you prepared to do so?" There was a calmness about her face that allowed Cana to pull himself back into reality, eyes focusing onto hers as he planted the tip of the sword on the ground, trying to take on as dignified as stance as possible.

"I am ready," the words came out unprompted, firm and fearful though he was still visibly shaking, his body once again feeling the rumble of rising vomit. Each word reverberated through the chamber, taking its own time to be heard, Fi waiting still and patent for them to run their course. As a stray spark popped out from one of the torches, floating between them, she finally returned to speaking.

"You will be playing a role in a great destiny," her first words pounded into his brain, their real importance hidden beneath her unnatural voice. "I was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memories of your people, and that was to aid the one chosen by my creator in fulfilling the burden of this destiny." Her face flitted to the side for a brief moment, as if having forgotten something, before she turned back as if it had never occurred. "The one who was chosen was known to you as Link, deduced from your previous statement. However, he is…" the firelight flickered across her body as she paused, recognizing the moment of silence. "Unable to fulfill his duties. Thus, my sole purpose dictated that another be found to take his place, and that, Master Cana, is you."

"Destiny?" Cana questioned hesitantly, feeling slightly discomforted by the whole situation. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean." That was true enough, the blade nervously rotating on the floor. So much was coming so fast… although if Link could handle it, why couldn't he?

Fi waited for him to continue, seemingly unfazed by the heat of the braziers as she drew closer to them. "Your inquiry is well founded Master," a subtle change appeared to have worked its way into her voice, almost admirable in a way. "You were not indeed destined to take part in this, and this has likely caused a degree of uncertainty in you." She pulled one hand up, waving it past the flame in a smooth, rhythmic motion. "To minimize that uncertainty, I will share with some information, as well as a vision which the chosen hero has seen." Her hand moved closer and closer to the fire, the shadows at the edge of the light seeming to work their way in, tiny indistinguishable tendrils creeping towards her palm. "My projections indicate there is a high probability of this information having a positive impact on your willingness to participate. With your leave, Master, I will show you."

With that, her hand swept its way into the fire, the flames touching it yet leaving no mark on the skin. When it came out again, the flames clung to it, flying off in a dark red blaze out towards the shadows, falling lazily until the darkness reached up to grab, it, the tendrils weaving through and molding it, a shape slowly starting to take form. "The figure before you is an exact reproduction of that which had been plaguing the dreams of the chosen hero for some time now. Look well, as this will make you more as the chosen hero was." Simultaneously, the two rotated their bodies, Cana stiff and still from instinctual fear rather than valor. The red and black hand blended now, the insubstantial color sharpening itself into being, a layer of scales over something long and round. The bottom separated itself into two feet, layered with the same scab-red scales, growing in size until it seemed it would break the roof of the room. Looking up, Cana raised the sword in a defensive manner, surprisingly good for one with no training, yet the abomination just looked down, eyeless, finally parting its jaws to reveal its gapping maw, sterile white contrasting so darkly with the dank body. Sword shaking, Cana gulped, his eyes closing as fear washed over him.

Then, as quickly as it had come, it vanished.

"Master," Fi's hand touched his arm gently, shocking him back to attention as he felt stone-cold flowing off her hand, odd yet strangely exhilarating at the same time. "Master, please respond." Shaking his head back into reality, Cana took a deep breath, trying to smooth out his ragged heartbeat.

"I'm fine," was all he could say, the clamminess sinking back into his bones. It had been so real, almost as though he could feel its breath, hot and rancid, clinging to his skin still. That was just a little more then I'm used to."

Straightening his back, he finally looked Fi in the face, catching something just leaving her expression as he did so. What it was, he couldn't be sure, but it didn't look like anger… at least he hoped it wasn't. "Anyways," he continued, loosening his grip about the sword somewhat. "Got it, not going to forget that face ever again." As stressed as he was, that came out with a little laugh, happy with himself that he hadn't completely panicked.

"If I may Master," Fi advised, though giving him enough time to finish. "I have much more to inform you of before you mission begins. The logical continuation of my previous action would be to inform you of the other destined one of your culture, whom you would address as…"

"Cana?" A deep, rumbling voice came from behind him, sounding slightly bewildered. "Is that you Cana?" Fi ceased her sentence, turning about in the air towards the source of the sound, Cana himself feeling a little tick in the back of his head as he turned himself, staring at Gaepora as he walked in, eyes locked on the sword hanging down in his hand.

"I saw Link come this way earlier," he demanded, mouth agape, and clearly oblivious to the body lying a few yards to his right. "He was with that, thing there. I had my hopes he may be here." His voice sounded as if he was rambling, his lack of confidence oddly giving Cana to chance to pull himself together, adjusting his posture to something more befitting of a warrior. "Tell me, have you seen him?"

"First off," half-false confidence tinged his statement, though there was clearly sorrow there was well. "She is not a thing. Her name is Fi." It seemed like the obvious thing to do at the time, though he knew he was only trying to delay the inevitable. "Link though…" that confidence started to fade out, staring forlornly at the spot where he laid, eyes squinting to hide the reality of it. "He… isn't with us anymore."

The shock on Gaepora's face was powerful, powerful enough to cause him to fall back a few steps, neck stiffening as he forced his head to where Cana was looking. "What," the sound shook as it echoed, his gaze finally catching the blood, then the rock, then finally Link, mouth grimacing as he took it in.

"Master," Fi looked at him, head cocked like a curious dog. "I appreciate your attention to accuracy. Might I speak to this new human?"

It was Cana's turn to be confused now, looking up with his mouth scrunched. "Why do you…" he waved the question away, embarrassed by his own stupidity. "Please do."

"Thank you Master," Fi pulled her hands back in, bowing before hovering over, imposing her body between Gaepora and the grisly scene. "Elder human," the way her single-minded simplicity seemed to soften the mood was magical in way. "Shock is the perfectly logical reaction to the death of one's own species. However, I would ask that you assist my new Master by presenting any new information you may have regarding the sword her hold."

Gaepora, though both his eyes and the ground below him where smattered with tears, stoically straightened his shoulders, turning himself towards Cana. "She's right, grief is for later. The simple fact that you're standing here now means I have witnessed something I should never hope to see. Cana," His footsteps where each purposeful, Fi floating close behind him. "This is the Chamber of the Goddess, a place left to our people from before any history tells us." Cana forced himself to keep looking at Gaepora, his eyes filled with all the dedication of a saint on a holy quest, Fi's light highlighting the remains of tears. "The very existence of this place is a secret only a few know, alongside a few words." He stood at the base of the platform on which the sword had once stood, clearing his throat as he tried to remember. "When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred." The last words where accompanied by a sweeping gesture to the room, hard and avoiding the spot where Link's body had been thrown. "I knew the day was coming, I had seen the sword glowing as I kept this place," he attested, as though scolding himself. "But that is all I know. Cana…" his voice cracked, tears starting to flow again. "Can you tell me how Link died?"

Being asked to speak again put Cana off his edge, wishing now he could have been a little more like Link; being able to stay quite whenever he needed. "See that rock?" his voice was almost a joke, as if trying to make the whole thing unreal. "It just fell down and conked him in the head." A nervous laugh accompanied it, which Gaepora didn't take well, scowling towards him before turning around, scooping Link up and cradling him in his hands, pacing out slowly before breaking into a sprit, returning to the dark night beyond the doorway.

"Master Cana," Fi floated towards him, standing in front of one of the braziers. "The elder human's message is missing critical pieces of information. Might I enlighten you on them?"

Not far off, Cana was sobbing.

"Please do," he managed to get out, struggling to steady his emotion.

Fi simply nodded, letting the fire dance as she spoke. "The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit." The words comforted him slightly, sobs slowly seeing larger and larger breaks. "He shall be burdened with the task of absorbing the shadow of the apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he will soar over the clouds and plummet below, and united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land."

There, she ceased, Cana looking up at her with but a bit of a break to his mouth. "Fi," he resigned himself. "That youth was Link. I'm not destined to be a knight."

"The probability of a member of a sapient race being destined for anything is far below 1%, Master," Fi was unmoving, though the sword in his hand felt slightly warmer than it had before. "Perhaps you are not in possession of an unbreakable spirit. You do, however, exhibit signs of self-understanding and empathy far in excess of any hero I am knowledgeable of. Perhaps, that will serve you with just as much efficiency in your quest."

Sighing, Cana's face lit up, his mind finally going to rest. "You might be right Fi. I'm ready." That little something he'd seen before was back on her face, a slight curl of the lips that vaguely resembled a smile.

"Come Master," she gestured to the rear of the chamber, where a metallic insignia rested within the great alcove. "There is one more thing I must show to you."


	6. Chapter V: The Calm

**Author Notes- Just realized something; I never noticed that Fi had no hands! Must figure out a way to make this work…**

**Also, this chapter is a bit bad. I need to fill up space before morning rolls around in Skyloft. **

**If you'd like, remember to take a moment of silence on the 7****th**** to remember "The day which will live in infamy." Remember the Second World War, may there never be another. **

The alcove was lit by the light of two fire-bowls, both having the great statues of birds at attention looming over them. In the stillness of the room, it truly had the feel of a holy place; indeed, Cana felt profane just by approaching it, kicking up dust that should have been allowed to rest where it had for ages. The stairs felt as though they would chip beneath his feet, stone old and cracked, as he drew closer to the crest, Fi bobbing silently next to him. Even his breathing seemed unnatural; the lay out of the room leading it to repeat each breath time and time again.

"Master," Fi relieved his growing tension, her echoes overpowering his. "Take the sword and raise it skyward."

Cana's eyebrows went up at the strange request, his attention refocusing on the hilt in his hand. He glanced at the blade, then at Fi, then back at the blade. "Fi?" He asked, finally risking a world. Her face was so hard to read, eyes blank and mouth unchanging. Yet, because he couldn't think of anything else to do, I shifted the hilt in his hand, the point of the sword passing first between his eyes, then up into the air, his untrained wrists straining to keep it still.

For a moment, he felt almost as if he were in a sort of prayer, absolute stillness filling the brief second. However, the sensation was quickly broken by a warmth flooding down his arm, lavender light appearing to compliment the spaces between the firelight and Fi's glow. With a bit of a surprised grunt, Cana was shocked by the force for a moment, and yet it seemed the sword was growing lighter in his hand, his arm filled with new vigor.

"This is the power known as the Skyward Strike Master," Fi instructed, drawn slightly closer to the sword that's light now stood latent. "My Creator forged it into this blade with permission from the Goddess herself. The energy stored will not be released the next time you swing the blade in the traditional fashion." Bringing it down, Cana examined the pulsing metal, feeling the power radiating off of it. "Please release this energy at the crest, Master, so that I might guide you towards your destination."

"Alright," Cana stated absentmindedly, his attention tied up in the sword, feeling the weight and taking a slow, steady pull back. _Concentrate_, he thought, his sword arm moving almost instinctually, though he hardly had any training worth speaking of. Eyes narrowed, muscles taunt, he made an attempt at a horizontal cut, but the sword swinging higher up then he'd anticipated. The power seemed to whirl off the sword through the arc of that cut, barely nicking the upper tip of the left wing as it passed. Yet, despite that, the color started to blend itself into the grey metal, the illusion of a blending whirlwind created as the force sent the thing spinning.

Taking in a deep breath, Cana watched as the whirling motion subsided; crest now an almost opaque shade. Fi watched in silent anticipation, a slight ting of residual power in the air. For another moment, the holiness set in, and Cana found himself with the sudden urge to breath a prayer to Hylia, or indeed anybody who would listen. Somebody to forgive him, to cleanse him and this place of the stink of death. There was a funny thing about prayer though; not matter how many times he spoke to the Goddess, she never bothered to speak back.

Thankfully, the silence did not last long, though it was replaced by an even stranger sound, the grinding of stone against stone starting to rumble from below him. Reflexively, he took a step back, the still crest starting to vibrate as the ground beneath is slowly rose, a pillar rising to meet its brothers on either side. Yet, there was something else about it; a square space within, lovingly crafted, which was what attracted the most of his attention.

"Master," Fi placed herself directly to the right of the pillar, cloak lifting up as her own light seemed to rise, solidifying into a sphere of its own right. "Place the object I will present to you into the unoccupied space." It seemed almost as if she was letting him into his new duties easy, and for that Cana felt a deep gratitude. Indeed, at the moment, she seemed to be the only voice he could count on. The energy finally settled itself into a stable shape, barely finishing that before floating forward to Cana's open hands, the sword sliding between his longshirt and the belt which held it in place. The light lowered itself, falling like a leaf into his hands, resting warm and gently in his palms for a time before dissipating, revealing a great slab of rock beneath, the glint of green gemstone showing itself on one side. The weight pressed down on his arms, but it was a good weight, solid and still rather than fickle like the sword. Examining it for a moment, a contemplative look on his face, he could feel the age of it, the wear and tear it had gone through. Still, remembering what he had been told, he slid it into the lower left hand side of the opening, the crude renderings of trees and waters becoming just visible under the dim light.

"Alright Fi," his attention turned back to the intelligence, her eyes darting quickly away from him as he did so, returning to a kind of uninterestedness. "I've done it." He almost hated to ask her, but he just couldn't let the silence come again. So, drawing the sword once more, filing a mental note to pick up a scabbard at the earliest opportunity, he moved his eyes over to the fire-bowl, trying to keep himself occupied with movement. After giving Fi a good few more minutes to speak, he finally allowed himself to leave, half-running across the stone floor, neither Fi nor the echo being far from his side.

The night air was again there to greet him, Fi's cloak blowing up slightly and brushing against his arm. It was almost nice, the clean scent filling his nose much better than the stale and ashed air of the chamber. He took long, deep breaths through the nose, whistling slightly as the air came back out, walking as he finally started to get himself back to normal, not fear or awe or confusion, but normal.

Of course, then he saw, piercing up from the clouds just beyond the plaza, a constant green light, the color of stamina fruit. Indeed, it was so piercing that it appeared to create a hole in the clouds…. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Enraptured by it, he couldn't help but approach, sword tight in his grip as he jogged down, Fi gliding right behind him as he went. Thankfully, the Keese and the Chu Chu never got this close to the Academy ,so by passing over that way, jolting himself only slightly as he leaped down from the roof to the ground, he was able to go in peace.

However, as he entered the plaza, the sound of celebration now significantly sillier as people really started to feel their drink, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching, slowing himself down and perking his ears, listening for something, though he wasn't really good at it. Still, he was paying enough attention so that when the Remlit dashed at him from the side, its hiss revealing is approach, he was able to swing the Goddess sword fairly well, feeling his muscle flex with the force, making a large gash down its side and sending it scurrying away, tail between its legs. Looking on, he felt a certain amount of pride in himself. Though it had clearly been more than a little good luck, he'd actually managed to use this sword properly. Maybe, maybe, he had a hope of pulling this hero thing off after all.

"Did you see that Fi?" He asked, turning around to look the girl in the eye, only to see her looking slightly lower than eye level, roughly onto his back. "Is something the matter?" He asked, jubilance leading him not to give the situation as much thought as it merited.

"It is irrelevant, Master." She responded simply, distancing herself from him slight. "I was simply taking note of the above average muscle mass." With that, she returned to sullen silence, the cricket's chirping and the drunken laughs filling the empty air between them. It seemed that there was nothing left to say.

"Well then," Cana finally admitted, the weight of the night finally starting to press on his shoulder. "I'm glad you admire it. Now, let's get some sleep."


	7. Chapter VI: The First Step

**Author's Notes- Just had to take a trip to North Dakota. Very flat, very boring; avoid at all costs.**

**Also, finally got about to writing my way down to the surface. Hope you enjoy!**

The sun was just starting to peek back over the horizon as Mallara stumbled into her home, the door kicking up a cloud of dust as it swung open. Her head pounded as she adjusted to the light, trying to make sense of last night's party. It had been such a delightful night, the best one she could remember since she'd lost Pipit's father a few years ago. A light burp escaped her throat, the aftertaste of the night's binge tickling her tongue once again, chuckling a light in delight. She would have to get this place cleaned up eventually; she'd promised her son she'd do it a week ago, but certainly a little nap couldn't hurt.

Then, she noticed that there was somebody lying in her bed.

That wasn't a particularly rare occurrence in Skyloft. Like nearly all of the area's history, the reason behind the tradition was never really discussed or even thought about. If you found anybody who actually cared, they would probably say it started sometime around when the Remlits started to become a bit "testy", justifying people entering whatever house happened to be closest as sunset came. After that, nobody really locked their doors; people just walked in and laid themselves out on your bed for a few hours. Besides, considering how little people slept, it was rarely an issue.

Walking over, the sound of her footsteps muffled in the carpet of dust, Mallara rested her hand on the figure, who's body lay wrapped underneath the top quilt. She felt them stir for a moment, drawn a bit closer to reality, before she pushed down, causing Cana to roll over and open his eyes, still wet and groggy from sleep.

"Oh," she sighed , almost relieved. "It's only you Cana. I was worried that Pipit might have come over to visit."

Still half asleep, Cana shook his head and tried to bring his mind into focus, arm flopping out to brush over the Goddess sword, propped up against the bedframe. "Ms. Mallara," he yawned as he sat himself up, hand gripping itself around the handle of the sword. "I apologize for intruding. "

"Oh, don't worry about it," she dismissed, smiling as she kneeled down to rest herself. "It wasn't as if I was at home anyways. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for the dismal condition. I've just been so busy lately..." Her voice trailed off as her head feel to her shoulder, sleep battling with her eyes before they twitched back open, catching on the sword. "Cana," she wondered curiously. "I hadn't been told you got into the Knight Academy. Your father must have finally gotten over himself."

Though the statement sparked the anger at the back of his mind, Cana quickly forced it back down before responding. "Actually," he confessed, lifting up the blade and resting it on his lap. "This isn't a knight's sword. My father's still fairly firm on that account." He stopped their, not sure what else he could safely tell her, but she just looked him in the eye quizzically for a moment, before turning back onto herself.

"Oh well," she shrugged, getting off her knee and just leaning onto the bed, eyes turned up to the ceiling. "Can't win them all, can you?" She paused for a moment, as if to take a breath, but ended up sneezing instead, the sound spreading and kicking up even more dust. "This bedding really could do with some fresh air," she was obviously thinking aloud, before she turned over to Cana and yawned. "Would you be a dear and take the quilt out for a beating? I've been out all night."

The look on her face was genuinely tired, and tinted with an almost teenage ditziness, that he found it a little hard to resist. "Alright," He stood up, sliding the sword back into is belt before sticking his hand underneath the quilt, checkered purple and green, pulling it out and starting to fold it over his hands, working it down to a manageable size before storing it away. "You need this back soon?"

Mallara had set herself into the bed by then, curling up like a sleeping child. "Just give it to me next time you stop by." She yawned as her body worked its way down. "I'll have the place cleaned up by then." Her breathing started to slow, but as Cana walked over to the door, she managed to get out one more thing. "For the sword, just take Pipit's spare. I'm sure he won't mind." Sure enough, a worn leather scabbard, plain but suitably size, hung undisturbed on a peg, dusty as the rest of the house. Hardly even thinking about it, Cana reached for it, gripping around the supple bindings before slinging it over his back, the sword creating a comforting pressure on his back after it was placed inside. The door parted in his way as Cana walked out, eyes meeting with the sun as the city spread out before it.

The change in the mood of the city was almost physical. For some reason, everything seemed darker; the clouds above where that much thicker, the bird statues that much duller, and even the people seemed to have darkened, the few who were out moving in a shuffle, without the excitement of sense of purpose that they'd had but yesterday. The reality of death returned to him, mind reflecting back on Link's life; the childhood games he'd enjoyed with both him with the rest of the children, all the times he'd flown his Crimson overhead, the time he'd gotten himself stuck on top of the windmill. Dozens of emotions tugged heavily at his heart, causing him to just stop in the middle of the road, thinking, before something probed into his mind. A voice.

"Master," Fi projected into his thoughts, the sword on his back starting to feel warm through the thin scabbard. "Please proceed to the beacon signaling the break in the clouds. We still have our mission to accomplish."

The rest of the citizens seemed to be slowly moving towards the graveyard, a torch still burning in that direction though the sun was already lighting the city. The funeral… could he really miss the funeral? Yet, Fi was right; he did have a mission to accomplish. So, steeling his will and tightening his fist, he moved on, not even needing to say anything.

The light was still shining as he came towards the plaza diving platform, the wind having picked up significantly since the previous day, blowing firmly into his face, shirt billowing. "Come on boy," He called out to the air, catching the forlorn glances of some of the others as he dashed forward, a bit of sunlight breaking through the clouds above as he dove, fingers to his lips as he let out a blast of three whistles in quick succession, the air blowing up past him before he saw a flash of burgundy, has legs spreading out so he could grip down on his Loftwing as it dove past, warm and vibrant despite the chilled air. The feeling of flight wiped away all the confusion, the depression and the darkness, and replaced it was familiar exhilaration, the pillar of light raised in challenge as he grew closer, the thickness of the quilt adding yet another layer of comfort. A quick jab to the side sent his bird forward with a hard pump of the wings, the break in the clouds almost just below him, a thickness of living green all he could really make out. Smiling, a reserve of courage welling up inside him, he jumped, yelling happily as he fell, feet pointed downward and the quilt to his chest. If this didn't air the thing out, he didn't know what would.

He couldn't tell how far he had fallen, all his clothing and air fluttering up above him. The forms below started to take on shape; trees and grey stone and hills, before he realized what exactly he was doing. "Uh oh," he squeaked as he flung himself into a panic, feet flailing as he tried to slow himself down, but to no avail. Mind raising, he thought, fingers gripping into the weave of the quilt, before it flashed in his brain like a sputtering fire. Hands tightening to fists around the two sides of the quilt, Cana let the cloth go, opening above him as the air rushed in, feeling himself start to fall more slowly as the ground came up, the greys become more pronounced wrought iron fences and stone pillars. Finally, much to his relief, his plummet slowed to a light fall, feet landing roughly yet manageably on the solid stone, the thrill of being alive calling him to kiss the ground. He still had dignity though, and settled for a wiping of the sweat from his face, looking up at the pillar of dust glittering in the sunlight above him.

It wasn't long though until her turned to the world around him, the great growths on the pillars beside him. "The surface," he whispered to himself, running one hand down the rocky face of a wall. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to be the mythical, wondrous place he'd been told about in story books. The grass was green, yes, and he could tell it was huge. Yet, there where trees and rock and bird statues, just like above the clouds. Still, it was enough to take in his attention, especially when he wandered over the fence, gripping to the rough, rusty bars an into the spiral pit below, deeper than anything he'd ever seen. There where gusts of upward wind and heart flowers and stamina fruit, things he was familiar with, yet there was something else at the bottom, small and grey. It was, strange.

"Fi," he drew the Goddess sword from its new sheath, looking into the metal. "Fi, come out. You've got to see this."

There was little delay before the girl flipped out of the sword, materializing in the dimmer light of the surface world. Despite what he'd told her, she focused her sight on him, floating still and silent as if waiting for him to speak.

"Fi," he repeated himself, letting his eyes wander over the area. After a moment, she seemed to duplicate his action, taking in the world for herself. It was a peaceful silence; not horrifying like in the Chamber nor awkward like at the plaza, but simply a time where he was content to live in this new world, a place he would be a good long while. "Isn't it beautiful?" He asked her, taking a few steps to his left.

"Visual survey indicates this area is aesthetically pleasing, Master," Fi's words rung through the air, hanging for perhaps a bit longer than they should. Her eyes turned to him, although he was focused in another direction at the time, and she averted her gaze before he looked at him. The fences blocked all but one direction, the grassy path circling around the pit, and so, after tucking the quilt away for later, Cana started to walk his way down it, eyes forward as he whistled a silly little tune under his breath.

* * *

><p><em>Scanning data banks for information on currently entered functional situation<em>

Fi glided behind her Master intently as he moved forward, his sword arm tense and eyes ever wary, though his ability of vocalize at the same time suggested a lack of anxiety that would positively contribute to his probability of survival. Yet, that was not the only thing being processed when she saw that. It was comparatively a very small bit of data, almost undetectable if it hadn't just taken up a little more space in her mind, matching to the stimulus she had recorded last night. Though looking on, she raced mentally to seek out any mention of this stimulus her Creator might have endowed her with

_There is no data present at this time…_

The process stopped itself as her senses focused in on her Master, absorbing all her attention as a great Deku Baba sprouted from the ground, slavering its unique sap. Master Cana had raised the Goddess Sword up, pointed straight at the beast, beating at the head seven times, the bulb recoiling but returning each time. Again, as she routed all of her power into recording data about this creature and this fight, so that she might be more useful to her Master in the future, another program managed to snatch away a piece of those resources, sending out another unidentified stimulus. The sword came down once more, slicing through the stem and the beast's mouth, splitting the bulb in two and leaving it to flop the ground, a single green rupee releasing itself from the head.

_Deku Baba_, she recorded, her Master leading them forward towards the great doors of an overgrown building, the start of the spiral downward just to their left as her pushed at the stone. _To destroy, place cut at same angle as open mouth. This will cause lethal hinge and tissue damage._

The record was hastily stored away as she approached her Master, looking down on him as his back arched to move the door, again, revealing the muscle mass behind his coverings. She did not even try to push back the stimulus this timesimply taking the pleasant tingle for what it was.

"Fi," Master Cana turned back to face her, eyes and face scrunched slightly as she became aware of her slightly abnormal stance. "Are you doing alright?"

This time, she welcomed the stimulus, even trying to hold onto it as she declined to continue the search. "Yes Master," she bowed humbly, floating to his side as he took the first step into the door. "Indeed, I find my current state to be significantly improved."


	8. Chapter VII: The First Blood

**Author Notes- Finally beat Skyward Sword! Hero mode will be an interesting challenge. Sorry for the delay, but things have been a bit hectic around here as of late (Including beating my head against the screen in the last two boss battles). The next one will arrive much faster**

The air puffed out of the doors as Cana opened them, thick and musty with the smell of age. It felt strangely as though he had fallen into a different time, a time undisturbed by the passing of humanity. Light pierced in spikes through the great gaps in the stone ceiling, particles of dust hanging visibly within them. Even his steps on the flagstone beneath where hushed by the lichen carpet, greenery having nearly overgrown the place. For a moment, he pondered how long it had been since anybody had been here, silence and stillness almost as much a part of it as the pillars and steps. There were no buildings like this in Skyloft, and as he walked down the path flanked by the pillars, he drank the room in, almost inspired by the simplicity. Yet, even as it filled him, there was a strange sensation, the itch in the brain that only came when somebody was watching.

"It's…" his mind struggled for the proper word as he spoke to Fi, the spirit hugging close to him, her body langue showing no more about her thoughts than usual. In the shadowy light of the building, she took on an almost reflective quality, pools of white forming and breaking across her body as she floated by him. After brushing away a few insignificant terms, his mind grasped on one. "Magical." That was what he needed to say, the place filling him with a sort of energy he couldn't describe any other way. Indeed, if it wasn't for that nagging presence, he would have stayed and basked in it for a while. Feet clicking on the stairs, he finally caught sight of it, that peak of red towering above a stooped figure that showed he was not alone.

"Excuse me," he politely stated as he worked his way up the steps, a great ring of light coming down around the person. They were a small creature, body mostly hidden beneath worn vestments and a volumes coat, which worked its way up to a point far taller than the person it covered. What little skin he could see was ruddy and wrinkled, eyes shrouded by a twine-colored braid around her head, the end swinging back and forth before her face. It was almost as though she was meditating, and Cana juggled with the point of interrupting her. "I didn't mean to intrude." Again, there was no reply, her body still and at peace. Yes, she was a woman; that much he could tell.

"Can you hear me?" He asked worriedly after several moments, bending to his knee so he could look straight into her face. She did not appear to be dead, yet her dared not touch her to find out, hand hovering a foot from her wizened hands. "I said can you hear me?" This time, he was clearly fearful, and perhaps a little angry, his hand finally resting down on her own, not holding or even pressing, in fear of breaking the already frail bones.

Her face showed the first signs of movement, right lip twitching up slightly at his touch, hands cold and worn. Chin lifting up, she looked him straight in the eye, if she would have uncovered her own eyes, and gave out a little groan, taking a deep breath before responding softly, her voice deep and parental.

"Child," there was a bit of a laugh under her breath, as if happy to see him. "Descended from the clouds. I welcome you. Tell me, what is your name?" This close, you could hear her lungs fight for every breath, chest moving softly as she did, but her face showed the sign of the strain, curling up into a light smile.

"I'm Cana," he squinted as her looked down on her, feeling uncomfortable as he searched for an eye to focus on. She seemed so, tired.

"I have waited," she sat still, not even moving her face as he came down. "For many years. Many, many years," her voice trailed off, trapped in days gone by, the sounds of the wilderness surrounding them. Then, with a light nod, she continued. "Regardless, you are here now. My purpose may be fulfilled." Overhead, the sunlight grew brighter, a shrouding cloud having passed by. He wanted to speak, but she always looked as though she was on the verge of saying something, and so he kept quiet. The breeze, the sounds, even the smell made it seem for all the world like they were outdoors. "Are you surprised?" She asked, as if reading his mind. "Your arrival here was predestined. Many, many years ago. You are here seeking the maiden, correct?" Finally their faces met, her lips tightening expectantly.

Cana tilted his head to the side, a bit of confusion setting in. "Spirit Maiden?" He questioned himself softly, probing for the term in his mind. The women's lips slowly untensed , face sagging into a look of slight shock. "Fi," he finally asked, turning around as he did so. "Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"

He caught Fi floating back, although she was still abnormally close. Her head hung down, body shuddering slightly. "My deepest apologies Master," her voice stuttered a bit, sounding as if it had very slight static. "Though I was interrupted before, I should have taken the time to inform you of the reason for you decent here. I have detected another aura which closely matches that of your race in the vicinity. By applying logical principle, I deduced it to belong to the Spirit Maiden of which the elderly female speaks. As she is currently the only female absent in your community, I calculate you have a 96% chance of knowing her identity."

"Zelda?" He half-guessed, sizing Fi up with a concerned look. It was almost as if, he shock off the silly thought; their where more important things to worry about. "Is it Zelda?"

"So that is what she is called." The woman thought aloud, shifting herself slightly. "Perhaps not the name I would have chosen. Yet, beautiful none the less, no?" The last part was a straight up question, hanging in the silent air long after it should have faded away.

"I suppose," he shrugged, letting the tension just bounce off him. "That isn't important right now, though, just tell me where she is." Exhaling a deep breath, he watched the women shake her head, slightly ill at ease.

"She was not meant to get here this way," she started to ramble worriedly, legs shaking as she pushed herself onto her feet, hands wringing between each other. "She was supposed to arrive peacefully, shrouded in light rather than the dark cloud that gripped her. I fear something, "she paused, looking into the distance. "Or, perhaps, someone, has interfered. Yet, that is not your concern." She stopped, returning her face to his. "You have your own role to play in this destiny. "

"Actually," Cana interjected, only to catch himself before the words came out. She was right… in some ways. Yet, he wasn't even supposed to be here. Link had been the knight, the destined hero, and that realization scratched across his heart, causing him to grit his teeth.

"It is Cana, correct?" She moved closer to him, her steps jerky and weak. "This girl set out for Faron Woods to seek out her destiny. You must follow." Sweeping out one hand, she motioned to the side wall, a dirty and cracked stone door resting peacefully. "Many monsters have settled there, but with the sword you bear, you should manage." He felt her rest her weight on his hip, braid swinging back and forth. "I tire. Go now, Cana, and be brave." With that, she sank back down to her seat, breathing labored. He felt a bit sad for her, just a bit, before simply nodding. No need to tire her out more.

"Come on Fi," he beckoned to spirit, who hovered silent a still a few meters away. "We've got work to do."

* * *

><p>"Master," Fi spoke as Cana worked his way up the stone stairway outside. The air was much fresher here, the light shining down through the cloud layer above and a few birds fluttering out of the tall grass, all much smaller than the Loftwings he was used to. "I apologize again for my error. It was not beneficial to your task to withhold such information."<p>

He turned his head towards her, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as he continued his movements, a relaxed look filling his face. "Don't worry about it," he took in a deep breath, a slight breeze blowing over him. "Everything worked out, right?" Fi responded with a bow, the literally electric tension about her slowly start to unwind. They just kept on, enjoying the peace of a pleasant day, when Cana's ear pricked up, a high, gluteal sound punctuating the serenity.

His hand went for the sword almost immediately, fear once again coming back. Slight movements started to catch his attention, fingers locked around the hilt. Things shifted from magical to strange, his passive curiosity skepticism. Then, he caught sight of the source of the sound. Five creatures… no, six, although one of them was clearly not like the others. The first five stood in a ring, dressed in brown furs, crude bars of sharpened steel raised into the air, brows low and skin a pale red. The other was large a thick, carrying a great bundle, arms raised in feeble defense. "Out of the way," the large one shouted forcefully, swatting his hand towards them. "Scram." Yet, they did not move, and indeed once of them drew closer, sword raised to strike.

It seemed as though his body attacked without him, leaning over slightly as he ran, the Goddess sword coming down across the creature's back, taking a good deal of meat with it. It gave out a loud hiss, arm reaching back to press down on the wound, blood quickly starting to flow. The others of its kind quickly turned around, revealing their wide and pudgy faces, needle teeth bared with their swords. It was a dance, really, the clang of metal on metal, the heart beating, and the sounds of pain the music. His own sword work was crude, each strike preceded by a moment of hesitation, but thankfully theirs was little better. First one feel, then another, his arm pulling itself away reflexively as another sword swished past. His back was to the large one, his body starting to feel thick and unreal. This was truly a first sword fight, adrenaline and enthusiasm making up for lack of skill, another body thumping to the ground.

Then, stinging pain shot through his left arm as a blow from that side tore through cloth, revealing the damaged skin beneath. It was little more than a glancing blow, to be honest, but the rusted surface had hurt him like hell. Another hit the same location, making a cross their, the blood seeping out. The yelp he gave out was almost pitiful, the sensation of this kind of pain completely new to him. It took all the willpower he had not the drop the sword and put pressure their, his vision bluring slightly as the remaining two creatures approached, grinning wickedly. However, they never got the chance, as from behind her saw two brown mitts appear, smacking the two heads into one another, the sounds of breaking bone grinding his ear

"Wow," the large creature looked down over him "That was, interesting."

"Thanks," Cana got out, his body trying to recover a normal breathing rate, sword hanging in a now limp arm. "I'm just glad I could help," his sentence dropped off, mind searching for a name.

"Gorko, the goron" he'd caught onto his dilemma, offering him a hand. "I'm an archeologist of sorts, studying ancient history. Yourself?

"Cana," his voice starting to sound better, he felt the tingle of Fi sinking into the sword, the warmth of her presence there flowing back up to his hand. "The Skyloftian." The last word seemed to light up a spark in the goron's eye, great hands tingling in excitement.

"You're not serious?" He asked, Cana feeling the pressure of a powerful grip on his shoulder. "You're actually from the Sky? The Isle of the Goddess?" He spoke hurriedly, face alight with wonder and hope, drowning out the sounds of the forest.

"Uh," Cana felt taken aback, raising up the sword slightly without thinking. "Yes, actually. I'm actually looking for somebody right now, so if this could wait."

"There are two of you?" Gorko laughed, although it sounded more like an rockslide then any human laughter. "The things I could learn! I'd thought she was just a native to the region!"

Cana's mind caught the idea, even though he though he felt a bone crack. "Wait, you've seen her?"

"I did!" the grip was finally broken, much to the appreciation of his sore shoulder. "She went right that way, all flustered up." A thick finger pointed towards a great stone arch, outlining a path beyond. "She's probably met up with the locals by now, why don't you ask them?"

Taking a deep breath, Cana sheathed the sword and nodded in honest gratitude, starting to walk over to the arch. "Thank you," he said simply, eyes closed. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Gorko waved as Cana passed beneath the arch, the deeper woods calling to him. "Just remember to come back here once you've found her. I've got a few questions I need to ask."

* * *

><p>His back strained with the effort of pushing the great log, the chestnut wood nearly as tall as he was, the torn bit of his coat binding his arm wound. With any luck, he'd find a heart flower to apply to it, but the extra pain it caused to his already straining muscle. He'd already stopped for breath several times, the sweat on his body drying out into an itchy, Finally, air coming out his throat roughly, he felt the stone pressing back against him, a light ringing sound signaling Fi's return from the sword, floating out before him.<p>

"Master," she kept her hands folded, though there was obviously some wringing. "Previously you ordered me not to worry. I must inform you that I found your order impossible to comply with. Your success, survival, and moral are my only purposes, and hence are related to core programs that I am powerless to change. "She looked away, almost as though admiring the trees that rose up on either side. "I hope that this information does not negatively affect your opinion in my functionality."

Cana squinted one eye, looking up as the sunlight silhouetted her form. "It's ok," he gave her a nod of approval, her merely being their giving him another distraction from the pain "You just do what you need to do. I'll be happy with it."

And, as he took the first step into the shade, he heard Fi's voice coming from above him. "Your happiness is what I require, Master."


	9. Chapter VIII: The First Spark

**Author Notes: *releases fairy from bottle over story* Well, what do you know? It worked. **

**I've finally gotten an opportunity to resurrect this story, since my friend finally finished with my copy of Skyward Sword. For those who were reading before… yes my statement that the next chapter would be quicker was wrong… very wrong. **

**Feel free to skip this chapter if you like. It is an… interesting insight, but not strictly required.**

_Bokoblin, red humanoid swordsmen with adequate swordsmanship,_ Fi watched as the scene of battle played over her vision time and time again. Her Master's arm coming down, strong and true, sending their dark souls back to whatever demon had created them. Black blood ran, hot and steaming, down _her surface, and, for a fleeting moment, it seemed he would have won._

_Some skill is required to effectively combat these creatures, as they are prone to attacking in groups._ She tried to focus on her function, breaking down the battle into data, probabilities and statics and patterns, but again something was rerouting her mind, bringing her attention to other, irrelevant points. The way Master's brow curled up when he spoke to her, the pain in his eyes when the pitted blade cut him, his stance staying strong even though his face showed so much pain. All of it started to flow back into her memory, cutting off her train of thought. She reached out with her mind, grabbing onto the flow and pulling it, electricity sparking through her as she did so. Deleting unnecessary information.

It was ; a nervous tick in the back of her mind, showing up when she could least affords the distraction. Whenever Master fought, and she dutifully tried to fulfill her function, it activated, siphoning of her energy for its own devices. _Searching active programs for process in question._ File after file came up; historical logs, background propulsion support, primary function stores… but nothing that should be causing this. Strange…

She sorted through each piece of data, focused in on her own mind as she silently floated along. There was… expectantly little there to see. So much of her logs, mile after mile after mile of text, was repetition of the same sensations; dark room, silence, cold and a bit damp, occasionally punctured by whatever authority figure of the era was in charge of the sanctuary. These flitted by with ease, text and visuals flickering only a brief moment over her eyes. However... this was not a superficial problem. _Accessing Core Archives, memory date 1…_ she felt herself grow cold for a moment as she focused her power deep into the recesses of her mind. Yet, the files held firm… almost resisting with a will of their own. Her previously emotionless face squinted a little as she doubled over her efforts, slowly reassembling the memory bit by bit, pieces of the world falling into place about her. Then, suddenly, the raindrops turned to a torrent, flooding out reality with a familiar scene… the memories of her first spark….

* * *

><p><em>Where am I?<em>

Fi... she was even uncertain of that, found herself in a strange place. She felt cold… _am I supposed to be cold_. There was water… ice water, rushing over her skin in a freezing embrace , numbing her open mouth. _So cold… so cold… I don't like cold. _That thought didn't ring like it did for most, though… to her, it was a new discovery, filled with all the novel feeling that came with that. She tried to breath… she felt like she should, but the water only sank into her core, robbing her of what little warmth she had left. _What am I? Why do I need to be cold?_ _Stop the cold… _There was something else… not quite a thought, but still pushing at her mind, demanding attention despite its imperfect form. One shock was quickly replaced by another, as she rose out of the water, eyes still dark and unseeing. She could only feel the strength raising her from her watery torture.

"**Will she serve?"** A sound… a sound with meaning. It came strong... noble. Something that made her feel comfortable.

"**She is wondrous…" **another sound… soft as the caress that came down her back, yet just as noble. **"She will serve. I expected nothing less."** As the water dripped from her body, Fi suddenly felt… a little more secure. Neither of them wanted to hurt her.

"**Well, she woulden't be worth much without your blessing, Hylia." **Hylia… that name at least she knew. Hylia was the white hands that shaped her from oblivion, her Creator. _Registering Creator._ She found coming to her unbidden.

Then, with a flicker of energy, her eyes opened.

The first thing she saw was the face of Creator. The divine visage was almost too much to behold; every feature was perfectly crafted and shining with its own light. Silvery hair ran down her back, matching the color of her silken wrap, eyes shining. Yet, Fi didn't feel herself threatened by it… indeed, it made her feel watched. _Those eyes… I like those eyes. _

"Fi, my daughter." Hylia's voice flowed through the air, pure. "Welcome to the world."

Fi found herself lost for words, searching for the proper way to express herself. However, her mother noticed her suffering, and pet her arm softly, sending a wave of peace through her body. "You're ok, Fi." She smiled, holding their hands together. "I have very special things in mind for you and your brother. Would you like to meet him?"

Still, Fi couldn't find the words to speak, and so simply nodded.

"Eldin," Hylia looked to the side, in the direction of the strong voice. "Would you please bring our Ghirahim?"

"Ah, I will." She heard another sound… another sword raised. This was when she realized she still touched a sword at her feet, could FEEL her foot on her own body. The other sword quickly descended, its blade lengthening, hilt stretching into limbs… and there was one much like her. White and black… masculine where her own form betrayed her sex, a fire in the pupil of his eyes.

"Brother…" her first word came, ringing hard and hollow in the air. _This voice…_ It wasn't a beautiful voice. _I don't like this voice. _Her free hand reached out to touch him, her body still pressed into Hylia's bosom. When their hands touched, she could feel the warmth… her brother was good. Warm was good.

"Sister Fi," Ghirahim wrapped his fingers about her hand, teeth sparkling white as he spoke. _He is more like Her then me._ She analyzed, as he pulled himself closer, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. _This… I like this. _There where so many new sensations… her body tingled with them, the excitement of this world. "She is a beauty, mother. Father has done well."

For the first time, Fi looked over in the direction of the voice… but she could see nothing. "Well, what did you expect boy?" Brother was obviously reacting, and his voice was as true as all the rest, but it seemed as though she was blind to him.

"Fi," Hylia caught her attention again, as the two boys started to speak with one another. "Don't worry about a thing. Mother will protect you…"

And, there; she'd caught it.

_Process Match Discovered_… where did that voice come from? It was so, inhumane, even more then her own. Yet, even as she relaxed back into the perfect moment… her brother rubbing her arms, her mother holding her close, shards of it fell around her, revealing a dark gloom underneath. Suddenly, she panicked again; clinging to the Goddess for warmth, but warmth was not what she got.

Instead, there was fire. The shards where a chaotic mess; the scent of smoke and salty blood, the pain of acid eating away at her skin, screams of slaughter and terror… yet, for some reason, as they went on she started to feel the panic less and less. Though they grew worse; thousands of dyeing souls screaming at once, the taste of demonic flesh ash on her tongue, it was almost as if that other kind of thought was leaving her and heightening the deaths of others. Scenes flashed by so quickly, the present a novel concept, until time suddenly, abruptly stopped.

This was another interesting scene. The room was lit by low-burning braziers, the coals hardly glowing and filling the room with a sense of sorrow. Fi floated beside her mother, silent and still, her sword wrapped in clean linen. It had not changed since her creation; gleaming pure, firm, and cold. Hylia, however, had. Her wrapping was now a shredded mess, mourning black yet stained a dark, dreary read in places. The gentle flow of her hair was now tangled and clumped, much cleaved away, leaving her head exposed and ugly. Even her face, once glowing, was now coated in blood, soot, and tears, the later still flooding from her one remaining eye. However, she felt nothing; emotions only lead you to pain… they were not for her.

"Fi," Hylia's voice cracked, hardened from its former glory. "What am I doing?" The question was clearly rhetorical, though tinged heavily with sorrow. She took a few more moments to collect herself, drying away the tears with the edge of her wrap. "My husband is gone… my son is gone… my people might as well be gone for all the good I was able to do them." She shifted to a scream in the later parts, sobbing in between breaths. "You're the last person I have left, and even though he's gone I'm still feeding your life to HIM." The sword dropped, clanging on hard stone as she shuddered.

Fi's body moved without her consent, following a scripted pattern of behavior. "Creator," the voice again… _I still don't like it. _"Your previous estimates show a 90% chance of Demise finding a way out of his bonds in the future. There is no logical reasoning for not continuing with your current course of action." Every one of her words where sound, the meaning exactly. However, Hylia's aura shifted coldly, a glare into Fi's uncaring eyes.

"Logical…" Her voice stand, the fury of an immortal scorned coating every word. "Shot your logic down into the clouds for all the good it does me! Nearly everything I cared for has just been given to the fires of war! Millions dead, most of the surface burned to ashes… and to do what? Buy a couple hundred years' time?" This was followed by a primal scream, shaking the very ground on which she stood, the fires blazing to height. After that, however, she calmed herself down, taking deep and heavy breaths.

"No, child. That's pointless. He's gone." She accepted, picking up the sword and removing the wrappings. "Now, Fi, I want to tell you something very important. You must remember every single word I say, understand?"

"Yes Creator," The response as completely passive; that was what was expected of her, after all.

"Fi…" Hylia gathered up her wits, speaking slowly and purposefully. "Demise cannot be allowed onto the world again. Even with all the great nations united, built on millennia, and with the aid of my own divine powers, we barely managed to keep even the Triforce safe, as I was trusted. With my current damage, I could never stand against him again. This is why I will do two things to prevent his rising. Fi…" she paused for a moment, looking into the blade. "I'm dooming you to a great sleep. You will lose your consciousness, thoughts, feelings, for thousands of years. If the Seals that hold him imprisoned should ever weaken, and they will, you will awaken to assist the destined hero in his quest. Deny him nothing; he will be your Master, the man around which your whole existence will revolve. You will aid him on his quest to defeat the Demon… and then you will sleep again, thoughtless. Goodbye."

And with that, the Goddess sword has driven into the pedestal, and she ceased to think. Yet, one sensation remained… the touch of her mother on her arm, taking safety in sleep…

* * *

><p>"Fi,Fi!" A voice rang from somewhere beyond the darkness, strong and comforting. The sensation on her arm… it felt so good. <em>Process Matched Discovered<em>. The mechanical voice started to pull on her, but it was the light squeal she gave from the wondrous feeling that brought her sight back, her eyes meeting those of her Master, who at this moment was rubbing her arm, a worried look on his face. "Fi," he asked once more in response to the sound.

"I am well Master," she didn't move, enjoying his touch as they just stood there, the vibrant life surrounding them. Cana had lead them quite a ways, it seemed. "There was simply and issue with my memory diagnostics. Nothing that should cause you discomfort."

Cana's smile came, her arm moving to follow his hand has he drew it away from her. "Whatever that means," he spoke happily, a red-soaked bundle of leaves tied noticeably ornamenting his arm, a blood police seeping from beneath. "Keep sharp though, we still have Zelda to find." Taking a few steps, he started leading the way forward, Fi stuck in place.

"Master," her voice was… timid. "While this goes against ordinary behavioral patterns, I feel as though I must be so disrespectful as to make a request of you."

Stopping , Cana turned about, shrugging. "I guess I can let it go this once," he half-laughed, trying to sound serious. However, to Fi's ears, he did sound serious.

Still, she forced herself to continue, floating forward to her Master's side. "It is my personal wish that I would receive the order to attend to my Master's hand. Is there any probability that such an order might be imminent?" The words came out…. But they sounded so wrong. That wasn't even close to what she was trying to express.

However, Cana welcomed it, taking his good arm and bringing it out for her. "I'd say it's extremely probable. Fi, if you would take my hand." He wiggled his fingers slightly, and Fi once again found herself staring.

"To obey my Master is the purpose for my existence, Master." And, slowly, she took it, feeling his hand wrap around hers and hold it tight.

It was warm. She liked warm.


	10. Chapter IX: Entrance to the Unknown

**Author Notes: Starting now, the story begins once again. I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow. Also… warning; do not expect radio stations to deliver promised tickets. **

"You know what," Cana mumbled to himself, cradling his injured arm. "I think I'm starting to get this."

On the ground before him, two Bokoblin lay dead, their still-beating parts oozing out a puddle of black blood. He didn't realize how rank it was compared to the rest of the forest; dirty and stale, until he'd gotten up this close. His nose wrinkled up now, sword hanging from his back, he was now given a chance to focus in on the object of the recently-late Bokoblin's attention… a plume of grass with an interesting being beneath it.

Though the air was still, the blades of the plant wavered as he approached, shivering with the body beneath. Cana approached it slowly, not really sure what to make of it. _This surface is so strange_. The temple, the old lady, even the goron he could understand. But, this plant… thing was just a little too weird for him. It was obviously animal-like; the mossy brown fur hardly passed for camouflage in the lush grasses, but it just lay there like shrubbery, making a light whining noise.

"Um… excuse me?" He asked. A few seconds passed as he watched, waiting for it to respond, the chatter of birds filling the silence, but it just stayed there. Wincing as he let his recovering arm drop, Cana knelt down before it, hand moving slowly closer to the main body. When it got within an inch of the thing, however, it made a little jump into the air, accompanied by a "Kwee-koo", before turning its head to the side, revealing its mask-like face.

"Don't eat me!" Its shaky voice begged, winy and soft. "I tasted terrible! Like dirt and grass! You wouldn't lik-EEE!" The rambling trailed off as it sprung up in a panic, stubby legs hurling the chubby body forward and away, grass flapping behind it under an overgrown arch, disappearing behind the rise of a slopping plane.

It all happened so quickly, all Cana had had time to do was watch, his bad arm propped up on his knee, heart juice and blood still seeping out from the wrappings. Of course, he'd silently thanked the Goddess there was heart flowers here; a gash that would have taken a week to heal would be knit up and healed in a couple of hours… but the sharp pain wasn't something you go used to. It took some mental bracing to go through it again, lifting the limb up from his knee as he stood up, his eyes locked on the obscenely steep incline. Considering he'd almost died three times today, and it wasn't even noon, it just seemed to be adding insult to injury.

Staring the thing down, dozens of thoughts flew into his mind, most of them negative. _Why the hell did I sign up for this? _was one of the more prominent ones, alongside _How on the surface am I going to climb that thing?. _His muscles tightened as he locked in place, half his efforts trying to convince himself he was wrong and the other half puzzling how to get over that thing. He scanned the clearing for anything he could use; a vine, sharp sticks, anything. However, all he could see was grass; grass, and a single heart flower: Not a lot to work with. _Its impossible to do this with only one hand_ his thoughts told him. _Even if there was something to grab, how would you reach for something else? _He had to concede to the later part... but, something in his gut was telling him he could still get up this. _Zelda got through it easy enough, and she's a girl. There's got to be a trick to this._ With that, he could feel his body loosen again, no longer caught up in impossibility, and now the cogs in his mind turned twice as fast as he started pacing.

It took a few minutes, birds in the grasses and the slight buzz of flies starting to congregate around the corpses. First he tried gripping onto the stone faces on the sides, groping for handholds, but it simply was too smooth. Simply running up the thing didn't work either, aggravating his wound and sending him tumbling in the dirt, chest heaving for air. He reached back to grab his sword, thinking that Fi might have some thoughts… but seeing the sharp point, feeling the solid weight, tripped something in his brain. Awkwardly shifting it so the blade pointed downwards, he drove it into the face of the hill, with all the force his good arm could pull together. Sure enough, it disappeared into the soil… and he had his way up.

Digging his feet into the dirt as well, clumps falling into his boots, dry and silty on his skin, he then could pull the sword out, planting it in higher. Slowly, surely, he pulled his way up the hill, digging in and putting the sword a little higher each time, biting his teeth hard as he fought the slowly rising pain his bad arm. Its fingers where locked about the hilt, helping to keep his body up when he was digging his feet in. Each time he had to lift himself up, the agony came on, his muscles feeling like flayed rope. A light sweat was forming on his brow as he neared the top, the small, sticky kind, before he finally tumbled onto the top of the hill in victory, reaching back to twist the blade from the dirt. For a minute or so, he just lay there, letting his arm relax at his side, blade laid across his chest, smiling. Despite how good it felt, however, he made himself stand up, brush loose cloud of dust from his coat, and go forward. Slowly, surely, he could feel the effects of the juice healing up his arm, and to be honest now wouldn't be too soon for it to finish.

A few pillars of sunlight illuminated the path up ahead, massive mushrooms dotting the place. It was just another interesting wonder of the surface world… and something semi-normal enough that he didn't worry too much about it, other than beeing his nose at the wet and rotting smell the fungus brought to the place. However, what caught his attention was the strange creature, its grasses gone and seemingly replaced with a large mossy bulb, attempted to scitter its way up a bumpy cliff wall. It was actually funny enough to solicit a chuckle, its tiny limbs rolling over the surface. Taking a jump from the low rise, Cana started approaching it, making slow, flowing motions, treating it (I'll have to learn what it's called, he thought) as a wild animal. He kept his eyes locked on it, trying to make sure it didn't notice him…

When he felt a heavy blow from the side, sending him down onto the path.

A long strand of spittle plopped onto him as he looked up, the toothy, malicious grin of a Deku Baba swaying before him, needled teeth sharp and hungry. His throat tightened, swallowing reflexively as he crawled away on his back, far enough that, even stretched to the breaking point, the Baba's spiny stem couldn't reach him. Of course, that didn't stop the creature's eyeless watch, animalistic hunger apparent as it waited for him. His immediate panic dying, Cana reached for the Goddess sword, holding it defensively between his body and the plant. He shifted the blade, lining it up with the beast's mouth, before making a slash. Unfortunately, he realized too late that his grip was too unsteady, and the steel bounced uselessly off the rubbery covering, merely stunning the plant. He tried to line up another shot, only to swing in the wrong arc, missing the bulb completely and nearly losing his balance. Luckily, however, he found the stem, leaving the flower to cry a small cry before spinning to the ground, lifeless.

It was only then that he turned his attention back to the creature, only to see it wasn't working at the cliff face anymore. Instead, it was looking at the dead Baba, little tan eyes squinted in confusion.

"You kill Baba's?" It seemed to ask itself, approaching Cana timidly. "Those red things don't kill Baba's… "It seemed to be coming to a slow realization, Cana sheathing the blade so as to appear less of a threat. "You don't want to eat me?" The thing was close enough to him that it hardly stood higher than his waste, hands up in an almost inviting manner.

"Hardly," Cana smiled simply, squatting down a bit so he could look at the thing eye to eye. " I don't usually eat things I don't know about… and to be honest, I don't know about much here."

The thing seemed to relax, stopping its slight shaking. "Well Kee-paleep!" It welcomed. "I'm Machi, of the Kikwi. Sorry for running away earlier. It's just," Machi started shaking a little again as it pulled up the memory. "You just looked really scary. I mean, I've only seen something that looks like you once before, and she didn't have a sword."

"Wait," Cana stopped him there, holding up his hand. "You've seen a girl run through here?"

"Well, yes." Machi responded. "She looked really rushed, blond hair, white dress… chased by two of those red things."

"Can you tell me where she went?" 

Machi shook his head. "Well, no. I was a bit busy getting into hiding… as I said, those things are scary! The only Kikwi who wouldn't be hiding would be the elder." His eyes turned back to the cliff he'd been trying to climb. "I can get him down here, if you want."

Cana gave a nod, and Machi seemed to straighten himself up, taking on a stronger stance. Then, the sharpest whine he'd ever heard pierced through the forest, Cana's hands flying up reflexively to cover his ears and eyes closing. When it was done, another sound responded… this one more of a deep bellow, but still a definite kee. It was followed by series of loud footfalls, very loud foot falls, as something massive rose above them. It stopped for a moment, only for the thing to fall, shaking the ground so hard Cana could feel it shake the loose muscle in his leg.

"Kee-paleep Machi," the creature looked down on them. He had to be fifteen feet tall, thick like a stump, with a droopy mustache at least half a time over as tall as Cana was. "What did you call me for? Don't you know its time for my mid-day nap?"

Machi bowed… as much as he could with his shape, in a sort of reverence. "I'm sorry Elder. This creature wanted to speak with you… he wants to know about the blonde animal that came through today."

The Elder's hands stroked his side fur, almost like he wanted to reach his mustache., looking down on Cana with his droopy eyes. "Ah yes… what excitement," He seemed to perk up noticeably. " She was with us earlier, I had to rescue her from the red things plaguing us. What of her?"

Cana felt his blood flow into his face as he took an unwilling step back. The size of the elder, combined with his obvious strength, was rather frightening. He could kill people just by laying down for a nap. "Well Elder sir," he tried to formulate something proper, trying to hide the shakiness to his voice. "I really need to make sure she's ok. I'm kind of… responsible for her." Of course, the back of his mind prodded him, saying that wasn't true, but he was a little too afraid for it show.

The Elder leaned in a tad closer, looking him over as if apprising something, body heat sloughing off of him and the thick scent of fresh grass in his fur. His nose twitched as if smelling him. All of Cana's efforts where focused on keeping loose, hand slowly moving towards his sword, sweat welling up again, half from the heat and half from fear. "He's certainly stronger than the girl, and he's got a sword. But does he know how to use it?" The tone of his rumbling voice sounded accusing, but it seemed to be like that no matter what he said.

"Oh yes," Machi piped up, raising his hand into the air. "He took out two of those red guys at one time, without getting hit once! He even killed a Baba in the stem!" In a way, it almost sounded like praise… but still tinged with fear. The knowledge that he was at least a little threatening calmed him down somewhat…. But not enough to speak.

"Well, that is good!" The Elder pulled back, now only his shadow looming over them. " I think we can both benefit from this… if you're willing to help." The Elder continued to stroke, expectantly.

Suddenly, Cana felt his tongue untie, words rolling into his mouth. "I think I can help." He pulled out the sword, giving it a good practice swing. "I've beaten them five on one… a few more shouldn't be a problem." It felt really good to say that… that was something a Knight would say, every time he was asked to take out the sky beasts.

"Well, we'll see," The Elder reached to scratch at his back… struggling, eventually giving up and rubbing it into the cliff face. "Well, after I rescued the girl… Zelda, I believe her name was, I brought her here with me, tried to get some understanding of what she was. All she wanted to do, though, was get to the Skyview Temple. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have had a problem with that, except for that's where those red monsters that we've been stuck with base themselves there." His eyes turned North, supposedly towards this temple. "I told her how dangerous it was… but that girl just wouldn't listen, jumped off my belly and ran right into the belly of the beast. None of my people dared to follow her." He turned back. "But you, if you're as good as you say you are, I'm sure you can find her. Just head north… it's the only building in the inner forest, can't miss it. I'd let you across…" the sentence with stifled by a yawn, bulk shifting as he took a deep breath. "But I really need my nap. There are some vines you can use, but you'll need this. Consider it your reward for clearing out the forest."

Suddenly, The Elder appeared to lose his balance, body swaying forward. Cana quickly leaped to the side, just in time for the Elder to flop down onto the ground, breaking his balance once again. Having to deal with this on a regular basis, it was no surprise the Kikwi where stout…. At least, he assumed from what he'd seen. The bud on the Elder was no smaller than Machi's, though on his massive body it looked tiny, and it popped open with a motion so quick, Cana couldn't even make it out. Inside was grass, but also something else. Something… red?

Cana pulled himself up onto the Elder… his fur downy and the layer underneath giving, almost as if he was a fuzzy pillow. The grass was actually a little sharp, the blades making small red cuts in his hand, though not painful ones, as he grabbed onto his treasure.

"A… slingshot?" Cana tilted his head at the object as he pulled it out. It was good quality… hard but bending wood, with a light leather pouch. He'd had one of these as a child… almost everybody in Skyloft had, running around pelting friends with pumpkin seeds, knocking Stamina fruit from high trees, or seeing who could shot farthest into the clouds. But it was a children's toy none the less; hardly a lethal weapon. "But, how am I supposed to kill Bokoblin with this?"

"Is that what you call them?" The Elder pushed himself back up, almost miraculous considering his girth. "This isn't for killing. Kikwi are a peaceful people… we don't go around killing things. Slingshots are used for other things… for instance." He pointed above them, to a curled up vine in the branches above. "Take that vine there. Let's say one of my people wants to climb the tree by that vine. Well, he can use the slingshot to knock it down so he can grab onto it. Not every tool needs to be for killing." The Elder's mustache flew up at the ends… almost in a sort of smile. "Anyways, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Just don't stress that arm too much." With that, the Elder flopped down again, falling into a sleep.

Cana took a few steps away, in the direction of the temple, before turning back. "Thank you," he spoke hesitantly, waiting for a response, but received only snoring in return. Instead, he went on, sheathing the Goddess Sword. "Well," he spoke, half to himself and half to Fi, after a few more steps. "Good Luck."


	11. Chapter X: What is Unknown

**Author Notes: This would have been up earlier, but I feel asleep… go figure.**

Living in a sword could be considered a very interesting experience.

In some ways, it wasn't that different from the houses humans used. In fact, in those was it was better than anything they'd come up with so far. The place kept a constant, pleasant temperature, removing the need for fickle fires or bulky blankets. There where places to rest; a great, lace-lined bed and a comfortable armchair, which kept themselves pristine and sweet-smelling. There were even windows with which to view the outside world, not stuck in one place but actively shifting across the walls as needed. All of this and more where divided into different rooms, just as they would in a normal house. If the humans of Skyloft ever developed dense housing towers like Lanayru, but with slightly worse technology, one of their homes might of look similar to this.

At that moment though, it may as well have been a dirt shack.

Fi lay sprawled out on the bed, cloak cast up behind her. Face frozen in position, she stared up at what passed as the ceiling, eyes blank. In her mind, however, her fingers where dancing, sifting through the entirety of her programing for any hint of "it"

_Scanning commonly accessed areas for Resource Allocation Error 1.0_. That is what she'd officially taken to calling "it", that pesky flaw that had been a plague on her efficiency all day. Every time she watched Master, every time she should have been profiling his enemies or analyzing the environment around him, it seemed to pop up and distract her, rerouting her attention to less vital aspects. For hours now, she'd been trying to hunt it down with cold efficiency. _Master is the only one standing between Demise and the world… he must not be burdened with a flawed tool. _She may not have known what it was, or how it got there, but Hylia would never have put it there; it was detrimental to her duties…

_But…_ something from the back of her head prodded. _It feels so good._

The scanning shifted to the back of her mind at that, bringing something else to light… embarrassment. _I exist to assist Master… insubordination does him no service. _She'd been feeling like this ever since she'd done the unthinkable; made a request. _Only flawed tools burden their users. _Her body warmed as they went along, chest tightening and body shaking… programed feedback for failure, not doubt. She'd wasted no time in fleeing into her home when Cana ran into those Bokoblin. So bravely fighting through the pain, so brilliant in the way he'd solved that slope, so kind in the way he'd put up with her neediness. _He deserves better than what I've given him so far… he deserves perfection. _

_Area Scan Complete. No threats detected… _the search shut itself off automatically after the notification, returning her perception to the great wall of files that made up her memory banks. Each process was a waterfall of sorts, visuals and code flowing down in a constant stream, accessible by a mere touch. Some were glowing brightly with teal energy, others where dark and dim, but all made a light humming sound, just auditable. She found it calming, for some reason; a sign she was still functioning properly. She reached into one of the streams, feeling the data slid over her hand with a strong pulse of power, tenderly brushing the one file she cared more about then any other; the golden letter of her core directive… the last words of her mother.

"Deny him nothing; he will be your Master, the man around which your whole existence will revolve. You will aid him on his quest to defeat the Demon."

The embarrassment began to fade with this, mind resettling itself into her ideal state. Her face physically unclenched, body stopping the light squirming that had been afflicting it. _I will be perfection_ she directed herself, levitating herself off the bed and out of the room, prepared to face the world once again…

Then she felt something along her outer thigh, the firm touch of Master's grip, and the warmth of a welcome request.

_End all remaining Data Scans. _And with that quick mental command, she gracefully exited her home.

* * *

><p>"Just look at this thing bud!" Gorko gestured excitedly to the great metal block. "This is one of the biggest finds I've had in months!"<p>

Cana paid close attention to the goron, goddess sword hanging loose from his hand. It had taken him hours to get this deep into the woods; hiking his way through miles of trail, crossing blades with a few more Bokoblin, and climbing another huge hill, and managing to get chased across a narrow ledge by bees, propelled by pure adrenaline. His greatcoat was slashed in half a dozen places, the cuts themselves mostly patched up from the heart flower pulp by now, a few welts from the beestings on his leg, and obviously starting to build up some swet; his left arm was now arguably the part of his body in the best shape. After all of that, it was nice to see a friendly face. "It is pretty cool," Cana nodded, turning his eyes to the strange object. "Except… what exactly is it?"

"I've been calling them Goddess Cubes." Gorko managed to calm himself down a bit. "According to the ancient texts, the Goddess put them here herself! Isn't that wonderful?" There was a distinct passion to his speech. It was the sort of way Strich used to talk about bugs, extremely interested, but not the point of being obsessed. " But I'm sure it pales next to the wonders she put up in the sky! There must be hundreds of these there."

"Well, we have things like these," he responded cryptically. Gorko just seemed so happy over this... and he'd really didn't want to think about Skyloft right now. "It just wouldn't make sense if these things were just sitting here to take up space. I mean, they obviously mean something." The smooth reflective surface reminded him of Fi… did they have something to do with her?

Gorko shifted his weight as he answered. "Of course there's a reason! The texts say they're here to help the hero of legend!" A ray of sunlight came through the trees, dancing red on the corner of the stone. Then, a moment later, the color was gone… was it just his imagination? "There was a little chant about it, if I recall." His meaty fingers went up to scratch his head. "Now, what was it again... Ah yes!" He paused for a moment to clear his throat, the loud noise startling a nearby bird, who flew up into the air. "Summon forth the light from a heavenly blade, and may that sword's master receive aid. A real brainteaser."

Of course, Cana found the solution almost immediately, quickly thinking over the short rhyme. "Seems pretty simple to me." He gave a short nod as he lifted up the Goddess sword, just to normal height. "You don't mind if I take a whack at it, do you?"

"Knock yourself out," Gorko shrugged. "I've already tried beating on this thing. Whatever its made of, it doesn't even dent. Just don't hurt yourself, ok?" The big guy took a few steps back, taking the opportunity to sit down and rest his legs.

Cana then lifted the sword up again, pointing the tip towards the sun. He could almost imagine how silly he looked for those first few seconds, like her was preparing to downswing a rock. Then, the energy started to build into his arm, surprising him with its intensity. The warmth that had come when he'd done this in the sky was replaced with an invigorating blaze, banishing the aches and pains of his treck in an instant, the distinct glow on the blade stronger than even. Gorko simply looked at in in a sort of enraptured awe, for that single second. Then, in downward blow, Cana let the power fly, the arc seeming to sink into the surface of the cube, sinking from the surface into the core. Then, with an almost heavenly sound, that core showed itself, feeding off the cube, before the pure radiance ascend, gone in a mear moment.

"Amazing," they both said at the same time. It had been so beautiful… like an angel, almost. Gorko quickly jumped back to his feet, running over and investigating the spot where the cube had been. "What happened?" He asked expectantly. "What on earth did you do?"

"Um," Cana struggled for an answer, his face blank. "To be honest, I'm just as baffled about what happened as you. I expected something completely different." _Like what? The cube spinning around? _ What an interesting sight that would have made.

"But… I've got to solve this." Gorko's looked turned serious as he lifted up a chunk of dirt, looking deeply into it and running it through is fingers with care. "I mean, what made this happen? Where did it go? How did the… but look at me, taking up your time." He stood up, shaking his head. "You still haven't found that girl yet, have you?"

"I'm working on it." He stated defensively. "It's not as easy as it looks."

"Calm down buddy," Gorko raised up a hand calmingly. "I wasn't accusing you of anything. I was just trying not to keep you too long."

Cana blushed slightly at that. "Sorry," he stated genuinely, sounding slightly sad. "I'm just a big high strung at the moment. Nearly getting killed will do that you." He finished with a weak laugh, keeping his eyes locked with Gorko's.

"Well, I'll just let you go then. Just remember to find me when you've got her, alright? I'm not letting you get away before I get my questions answered." He laughed alongside Cana, before giving him a wave goodbye and returning to the ground… for a second. "Wait," he called after Cana had turned away. "Think fast."

Cana turned around only to see something fly through the air towards him. Reflexively, he raised a hand to block it, whatever it was bouncing soft and harmlessly off his hand. Looking to the ground, he saw the projectile was a fresh biscuit, well made and flakey. " I usually keep one of these around for when I need a break from rocks, but you'll need to keep your strength up if you're going that way." With a toothy grin, he went back to his work, the spark in his eye readily apparent.

"Thanks," was all Cana could think to say as he picked up the biscuit, stowing it away in one of his pockets. "I'll just see you around then." With that, he turned his attention to the great building before him. He kept his eyes moving as he went, keeping alert for anything else that might want him dead, but the overgrown tower just loomed too large to ignore. It looked too out of place among the trees; stout and grey, despite the vines and lichen over it. It even smelled different; musty among the freshness of flowers and fruit. The strangest thing, however, was the door. It was massive, big enough for five men, golden surface tarnished but slightly with the wear of ages. It had an even stronger presence to it then Elder; not just large, but evil, striking a bit of fear into him.

However, if he was going to get Zelda back, he didn't have much of a choice.

"Come on out Fi," he gripped the hilt of the blade tightly. Sure enough, she leaped from the blade and into the air, her surface outshining the door and a small smile on her face. Her presence seemed to remove some of the seriousness from the situation, a little more secure in his own ability. "You called Master?" She asked, head bowed in service.

"Hey Fi," he greeted her, returning her smile. "You've just been in there a long time. I wanted to make sure you're ok."

"My current structural integrity is 100% Master." She lowered herself down, hovering just above the ground, eyes level with his chest. "I've been involved in routine maintenance." She took a close look him, before the expression on her face changed to concerned. "You've appeared to have sustained some damage. Is it currently causing you any discomfort?"

Cana's smile grew wider as he held Fi's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I can take a couple of scratches." With that, he turned to the door, giving it a good push. "Strange," he mumbled when it didn't open, trying again, this time a little harder. No matter how hard he pushed, the door refused to budge.

Fi placed her hands onto the door, fingers curving gently as she floated, light electrical jolts pulsing through the door. "Master, analysis shows this door is protected by a form of locking mechanism." She turned her head to him, looking into his eyes.

Cana looked back at the door with deep interest, running his hands over its surface, looking for anything. "Interesting," his brain grasped onto this new puzzle, excited by the challenge. He ran over each part of the door, jiggling the gemstones, tracing the details… but try as he might there was no hole. _If there's a lock, there has to be a key somewhere_ her reminded himself, walking about to view from different angles, Fi never far from his side. _But if they wanted to keep people out, it would have be somewhere not so obvious. Someplace bent on killing wouldn't think to look. _He ran a finger up the door, following it higher and higher… and then it clicked.

Backing up, he finally was able to see it. Nestled in a nook in the ceiling, was an obvious switch. It was all so obvious; that's why the Kikwi Elder had given him a slingshot. He slipped one of the bullets into the pouch, the old motions slowly coming back to his bind, as he pulled the elastic sinews, closing one eye as he aimed. It was so satisfying to see the stone shot up, bumping against the switch, and watching it rotate into place. The grinding of gears came from the masonry, the door pulling itself to the sides, opening up the dark, root-lined tunnel behind.

"That was pretty easy don't you think?" he congratulated himself before looking back to Fi, who hovered about a foot to his left.

"I did not doubt your success at any point Master." Fi bobbed there, still. "I was only glad that I was able to serve you."

The tunnel greeted him with a thick, wet smell, condensed water dripping from the ceiling and onto the stone steps, the glow of the florescent mushrooms fading into a hazy darkness. One could almost mistake it for a mouth of sorts, with the poor masonry on the sides sticking out as teeth. Of course, he'd known this was coming for some time now… and to be honest, it was far more exciting then scary.

"Well Fi, let's got get Zelda." He confidently took the first step onto the stairs, looking forward seriously as he drove himself into the darkness, the last of the sunlight now hidden behind the rising stairway.


	12. Chapter XI: Facing the Unknown

**Author Notes: I'm going to gloss over the dungeon crawl for the moment. I apologize for this, but getting through Skyveiw would take two or three chapters at my current rate, and bore people to tears. In the future, I may release a bonus chapter, but not today.**

**I'll make up for it by making this my longest chapter yet. Also, one free internet for anybody who finds the web comic in here. **

It would be fair to say that, after this, Cana's whole view on knights had been pretty much shattered.

Like any other child in Skyloft, he'd been raised on the heroic tales of the Sky Knights, the preceder to the Knights of the Acadamy that had been Skyloft's protectors for centuries. Baston the Fly Fortress, Winson of the Farthest Isle, and the charming Sir Falcus, among others. Other parent's children would speak with great passion as they spoke about the massive beasts they slew, the islands they discovered, and the beautiful maidens they rescued from the strange mages who once lived within the clouds. It made the questing career seem so amazing, filled with constant excitement and acclaim. It was those stories that had driven him to his desires for knighthood in the first place.

What they failed to mention, however, was that the beasts really tore a guy apart, mysterious dungeons could be extremely dull at times, and finding the maiden wasn't as easy as following her screams to the nearest ominous tower.

Cana rested himself against the wall of the dungeon, healing cuts in half a dozen places, gathering up his nerves. He'd been wandering Skyveiw for a little over two days now, plumbing its depths for any sign of Zelda. The whole placed turned out to be a massive damp mess. He'd slogged his way through spider webs larger than any he'd seen before, fought at least two dozen more Bokoblin, nearly lost about a foot in height during a scrap with a bloody for armed skeleton, and to top it all off he STILL soaking wet from flooding half the rooms in the place. Yet, despite the aches , pains, and running on only a few cat naps he had managed to catch in the less threatening corners, he also felt a strong sense of accomplishment, lifting his spirit despite his tired body.

In the end though, what mattered was that he was still alive and breath, at what appeared to be the temple's inner sanctum. A great golden door, nearly identical to the one he'd enter from, was all that remained between him and Zelda; at least, according to Fi's observations. Of course, opening this one hadn't been as simple. As if the temple's gauntlet hadn't been challenging enough to protect whatever was in there, he'd had to swing from vine to vine over a very deep bottomed pit just to get the key nessicery to open it. His hands toyed with the cold metal, the individual bars tangling with his fingers. He'd been pondering exactly why somebody would construct a key like this; it just seemed more like a piece of artwork, with the detailed inlay and precious metal. Solving such mysteries had relaxed him for as long as he could remember, giving his mind the opportunity to run free. All in all, this was probably the best time he'd had since he entered this place.

Then, unsolicited, his thoughts turned back to reality. His legs where still aching for rest, his arms slightly heavy, unused to the continual sword work and hanging on for dear life. However, when he tried to close his eyes for a short rest, all he could see was the frightening form of the dream-beast, needle-like jaws snapping and its feet spreading the darkness with each step, sending his lids back up for a bit of light. He still had a duty to preform… and he planned on doing it.

Taking a moment to steady his legs, Cana walked over to the brooding door, the great lock jutting out from the surface in challenge. Shifting the key to his right hand, he started to spin it into the proper position, his other hand rubbing the tightness from his thigh. Gently, he pushed it into its setting, savoring the last of his brief moment of peace, the object finally locking into place with a soft click. It was hardly a moment later when the lock cracked in half, the key disappearing in a flash of light, and the door swing in with an eerie creek, empty darkness once again standing to face him.

_What on earth did these people go through so much trouble to hide? _That was something else that had been bothering him as he wandered through this place. Temples where supposed to be designed for veneration, as an honor to the gods. However, this place seemed to be more concerned with keeping people out then allowing them to worship. He could only imagine what kinds of traps they would put in the inner sanctum… and to be honest, he was trying as hard as he could to keep those images out of his head. Still, there wasn't any point to standing out there, so he pushed the thoughts aside and took his steps to face the unknown… something he'd had to put up with more than a few times in the past couple of days.

His muscles coiled as he went down the passage way, preparing to spring at any sign of a threat. Each foot in the darkness, he became progressively less and less sure of himself, dark thoughts from the corners of his mind creeping out to grab at him. _What if that… monster is in there? Or a closing spike wall? Or…_ the list went on and on, a cold sweat taking to his face. The light from behind him was little more than a faint glow now, and in front of him was all darkness. _What I wouldn't do for a torch right now…_

Eventually, he found the end of the tunnel, his whole body tight as a spring and still fighting a couple of dark thoughts. He half-stumbled as he stepped into the light, senses flaring as he looked for anything threatening, fueled mostly by a vague sense of dread. The air smelled clean, fresher then the spore-laden rooms of the place. None of the surfaces seemed to be move, and there wasn't really anything else that could be threatening; just an empty room. The only thing that stood out was exactly what he was looking for; a door of pure gold, the emblem of the goddess lovingly embedded. He breathed a sigh of relief as he approached it, the thing almost radiating good. He didn't even bother to draw his sword, just taking one step after another, arms clenched in anticipation.

Just then, as if reacting to his thoughts, the door burst with a golden light, the intensity burning his eyes. Cana shielded them with both his hands, face turning away from the brightness. When he turned back, though, he realized with a sickening feeling that that light hadn't come from the door. Instead, he found himself looking at the side of a guy. What he could see of his skin was grey and sickly, his well-styled hair white as snow, with his gloves and rather formfitting bodysuit matching perfectly. His high –collared cloak served to extenuate his shoulders. But what really made him threatening was his sword; the sharp part pointing in Cana's direction, the dark steel blade gathering some sort of unholy mist. After an initial jump of surprise, Cana found that his arms once again wouldn't listen to him.

The man's sword disappeared a moment later,dematerializing down into floating black crystals, leaving the man's hand open and towards him, as if to ask for pause. "Well, who do we have here?" He coyly spoke, with a humored giggle. His motions where smooth as he turned around, pivoting around. His face wasn't actually that threatening at all; smooth, yet a bit chiseled, a bit of eyeshadow darkening his gaze a bit. Granted his hair was a bit odd, covering one side of his face entirely… but he wasn't really scary. "A scared little boy? Did you fall through the clouds by accident?" His tone was condescending, as if talking to a boy, taking a step closer. "I was expecting somebody a bit more… heroic. " Whomever he was, manners where obviously not his strong suit, but for some reason Cana just didn't have anything to say… because, to be honest, the man was right.

"Not that it particularly matters," he spun his hand dismissively, turning back towards the door. "You're of little consequence to me. It's the girl that matters to me… and I can sense her here. Just beyond this door." _Zelda,_ the thought quickly entered Cana's head… but still, he needed to hear more. He could tell by the way this man carried himself he was saying something important, even if it was just bragging.

"Hmm? You have nothing to say?" He inquired playfully, giving a conceited smile. "Well, more's the pity. I was hoping you'd be a more active audience. But what could I expect," he gave himself a fake slap to the head, as if having a moment. "I've been a positively uncivil host. Allow me to introduce myself." The man tossed his hair before continuing, Cana feeling his body relax as he listened, the rest of the world still. "I'm the Demon Lord who rules over this land you stand upon… the land your people call The Surface. You may refer to me as Lord Ghirahim… but I'd be willing to accommodate Ghirahim if you less of a man grown then you appear." He took a step to the doors, reaching with it for one hand. "So boy, do you have anything to say before I go on my way?"

From just that short monologue, Cana knew one thing for sure. Whomever Ghirahim was , he certainly didn't have good intentions for Zelda when he finally caught up to her. Swallowing what little saliva he had, Cana gave Ghirhim's back a glare, drawing the Goddess Sword from its sheath. "Actually, I do." His voice didn't sound a bit more confident, bolstered by the knowledge he was the one with the sword. "You're not getting to Zelda if I have anything to say about it."

Ghirahim stopped him movements, arm half outstretched as he chuckled. "Did you really just draw your sword, boy?" He asked, turning about once again, arms folded at his chest. "That was a foolish mistake. That girl is ours…" his arms went out, muscles still tight. "By right, she should have been ours already. We had her right in our hands when that loathsome servant of the goddess plucked her from us!" His voice was growing more and more angry as he continue, a vein beginning to bulge in his forehead. "Do you have any idea how that feels, boy? To have something so precious taken from you!" His fingers where twitching, something smoldering under his skin. The tension in the room grew to the point where he could feel it, thick and hot. "FURIOUS! OUTRAGED! SICK WITH ANGER!" Ghirahim's temper burst, his whole upper body flailing in rage, before he simply blinked out of existence. This gave Cana's system another shock, the room's light fading into an overcast shadow. Whatever it was, the sense of foreboding was now firmly holding to his thoughts, half of him wanting to run screaming and the other wanting to beat the living daylights out of this guy.

Ghirahim's voice echoed through the room, without any apparent source. "All these problems have really built up my frustration. Still, it hardly seems fair to take ALL of it out on you." There was another confident laugh, this time distinctly from behind him. Cana turned his head just in time to see Ghirahim's face only a couple inches away, his smug look taking up nearly Cana's whole line of vision, the feeling of those lips so close to his ears making him shiver in disgust. "So, I promise up that I won't murder you." Cana took a good step away from the demon lord, only for him to disappear and pop up next to him again, still on the opposite side as his sword. His legs refused to listen as something long, wet, and snaky climbed its way up and around his neck, sending him into another shiver. "No… I'll just beat you until you're just barely conscious, bleeding from a dozen cuts and whimpering for mercy. How does that sound?"

"Ummm," Cana tried to respond, still really freaked by that tongue display. "Not very good. I'd rather not." _Great, now you sound like a scared kid. _Granted, that was exactly how he was feeling right now, but Ghirahim didn't need to know that. Trying to compensate, he made a jump to the side, holding up his sword threateningly.

Ghirahim didn't even bother responding to that. Instead, all that came out was a laugh. A genuine, hearty laugh, tinged with just a hint of evil. The way it echoed through the room, bouncing into his ear from every angle, just seemed to emphasis its power. Instead of words, he made do with a powerful gesture, half flexing his fist and grunting to the ceiling. With that, his cloak going the way of his blade, leaving him surprisingly defenseless. All he could do with raise up his hand, forming a V with his fingers.

_That doesn't make any sense _He mused, keeping his sword held defensively at Ghirahim walk casually towards him. _I mean... he has a sword. If he needed it, why would he have gotten rid of it? _That thought really struck at the pit of his stomach, the look for pure confidence on his face all he really needed to know. Still… the door behind him was locked shut, and there was no way to get around him. One way or another, he was going to have to face this. Driven half by fear and half by his rapidly-falling confidence, Cana brought his sword down in a powerful arch, trying to land a slash down Ghirahim's arm.

The weight of the falling blade seemed to carry his arm, imparting a bit more force. But, suddenly, it stopped; no sound of tearing or clang. Just stillness. That's when he saw something that made him dread; Ghirahim had caught the Goddess sword between his fingers, and was twisting the blade with a sadistic gleam in his eye. Cana tightened his grip on the hilt, trying to resist forces working against him, elbow slowly being shifted around. However, after half a minute, Ghirahim gave it a strong tug, yanking the shaft out of Cana's hands and sending it spinning into the air.

With an almost ethereal grace, Ghirahim raised his other hand, snatching the Goddess Sword up by the blade and spinning down, with the sharp end pointed towards its former master. "This is quite the lovely sword you have here… hmmm" He paused in his taunt, looking down to exam the blade, before letting out another powerful laugh. "Wait, YOU'RE the Hero of Legend? The Goddess has got to playing some sort of practical joke. She sent a half-trained monkey who can't even swing a sword without telegraphing his attack like a novice? How… quant." The tip of the sword dangled in front of Cana's face, cold and sharp. "Well, let's get this over with, shall we?"

* * *

><p><em>Warning! Unauthorized usage of Goddess Sword. <em>The alarm screamed through her home, breaking her out of the trance she was in. She shot up from her resting position, body coursing with power. Indeed… something was different. A chilling cold was starting to spread through body, starting at her feet and slowly working its way up. Her eyes where wide open as she shifted her perception, attempting to open the widows of the Goddess Sword… but her commands came to no avail. Instead, they solicited a voice.

_Ah, baby sister. _The voice, whatever it was, carried authority and strength, as well as a certain childishness. _It's been awhile, hasn't it? _

"Intruder," she voiced back, falling back to her deep-rooted protocol. "You are making unauthorized use of the Goddess Sword without express permission from Master. Please return the blade immediately."

_But we've been apart for so long, I merely wanted to catch up, _ a sort of fake whininess tinted it this time… why did this voice sound familiar?_ I have so much to tell you about. The new gig, my vacation trip to Eldin Volcano, the centuries of imprisonment under that accursed seal… all sorts of fun things. _

"Identifying intruder… Ghirahim?" She was truly confused… while the creeping cold was hardly doing good for her. It felt so… terrible, the pain obvious in her tone. "Why have you stolen the Goddess Sword? You do not possess the authority to perform such an action."

_It's just something I do for chuckles. You know that. Speaking of which, isn't it your duty to give your master important bits of information like that BEFORE he makes a mistake? _A soul-penetrating chuckle filled the sword, the guilt feedback swelling up in Fi's circuitry… _I'll take that as a yes._

"You are correct, Brother." Her voice was audibly shaking, the cold creeping its way up her legs and into her belly. "I merely deduced that Master would not need my assistance. He is sufficiently strong, intelligent, resourceful, perceptive…"

_Resource Allocation Error 1 Detected_

She could feel Ghirahim's grip on her tighten, almost able to see that wicked smile of his. _Really now? Well, he's good to look at, I'll give him that. Perhaps he's just weighed down by subpar equipment. A dog could do your job better, if you ask me. _

"That is incorr…" Fi's voice stopped itself, her eyes closing in shame. Her programing would never allow the dispersion of such blatant misinformation. The cold was becoming too much to bear… she needed to see her Master, do something, anything for him, get a compliment or affirmation she was still working properly… ANYTHING. "Just, send me back, please," the robotic tone changed to something soft, weak… a mewing kitten. "Let me resolve these concerns. I'll be a good girl… just let me be warm."

_Your squirming is delightful, _Ghirahim just didn't stop grabbing… but then she felt his grip weaken, the cold just a tad less unbearable. _Just do a better job next time. I wouldn't want you ruining the family reputation. _

* * *

><p>Cana jumped to the side as Ghirahim idly tossed the Goddess Sword towards him, leading it to clang into the wall behind. He'd been dodging the demon's sword blows for at least two minutes now, taking a good slash to the leg. Man, that steel was sharp. His pulse was high, adrenaline propelling him forward, snatching up the blade in an unusual fluid motion. <em>Odd… the hilt's cold for some reason. <em>Was all he could think before making another assault, Ghirahim yawning bored as he raised his fingers to catch the steel again.

"When are you going to learn boy? He snapped with his free hand. "You'll need to have MUCH better swordplay if you even hope to,"

However, he was stopped mid-sentence by a punch to the jaw, Cana's fist flying up and landing a solid blow. Ghirahim stumbled from it, fingers loosening, leaving himself open to wide, unthinking slashes from Cana's sword. They were sloppy things; easy to parry if he'd had anything to parry with, but they were powerful enough to knock the Demon to his back, black shards bursting from his body with each blow, like sparks. Off his feet, he was an easy target for several more strokes, the dents slowly building up in his skin as he tried to swat away the pesky sword.

"Well, I stand corrected," face turning somewhat serious, he flipped over on his back, landing a powerful kick right into Cana's chest, sending him stumbling backward. "What you lack in skill you make up for in creativity. You have my respect. " Cana's vision stopped spinning long enough for him to regain his balance, seeing Ghirahim snap into the air, his sword appearing from nothing. " You'll now have the honor of facing me armed. "He took a practice swing, Cana lifting up his shoulders and regaining his stance, though the blunt pain in his chest was still a distraction. _At least one broken rib… did I seriously think I could beat this guy?_ His guard dropped for a moment, arms relaxing and sword lowering, Ghirahim slowly approaching, tongue running along his blade.

"Fi," He called to his sword, backing himself into a wall. "Fi… you can come out now. Seriously." Yet, she didn't respond, and with nowhere else to go, all he could do was watch as Ghirahim approached. His foot shifted to the side, bumping into one of the pots, sweating in fear… when his battle-addled brain latched onto a sudden idea.

"Come on, lady-boy. What are you waiting for?" The taunt came out more pathetic then insulting, his voice heavily tinged with fear. However, the reaction on Ghirahim's face suggested anything but, his eyes narrowing and smoldering, shoulders clenching.

"I'll give you a chance to take that back, boy. I've obviously frightened you so much that you forget where you are." The black blade was held out offensively, the point forward as if to skewer him, taking a few steps back with his feet braced.

To be honest, every fiber in his body was on fire then, the fear of death locking down everything in his brain. All he could do was reach down for the pot, packing it under his armpit, and stare Ghirahim down. Of course, that was enough for Ghirahim, who let out an angry growl. "You'll learn the consequences of insulting me boy. You'll be on the ground sooner than you think." With that, his legs took off, swinging back and forth, charging forward with his sword.

Like a cornered animal, Cana's instincts took over, the overwhelming urge to fight back all he could grasp. The pot was quickly tossed towards the demon, underhand so it rolled across the ground. For a moment, everything seemed to slow down; Fi's exit from the sword fully visible as she stared on in a sort of vapid interest. Ghirahim seemed to half float in the air as he ran, and the pot's bounces made low, sustained noises. His eyes where wide and buggy, watching as Ghirahim's foot hit the pot, sending his foot off the ground and his body out of control, his sword flying to the side as he looked forward in disgust. The sound of him smashing into the wall was satisfying… and the last sword strock he made into the Demon's back even more so, his perception returning to normal speed, as he let out a deep built-up breath.

Fi just floated there silently, Ghirahim sliding down the wall, limbs out. "Master," she quickly noted… though her voice wasn't very strong. "I detect all vital signs functioning normally in your opponent. Further analysis concludes all are active and he is indeed conscious. If I may be so insubordinate as to present unsolicited information. "

Sure enough, Ghirahim pushed himself off the wall, off balance as he wiped away a light trickle of blood from his nose, only a little worse for wear from running head on into a stone wall. "Enough of this," he sounded calm once again… almost polite. "You've put up far more of a fight then I expected from such an unpracticed boy. Just know I won't fall for your clever tricks again." Ghirahim dematerialized his sword once again, straightening his tussled hair. " I fear I've spent far too long testing and toying with you. The girl's presence is all but gone from this place… meaning I have no more reason to linger. I'll let you go this time." He took a few steps closer, Cana too distracted trying to catch his breath and rest his muscles to even raise his sword. "But just remember, next time you want to play with me, I won't go so easy on you. And, by the way," He leaned in closer, his lips next to Cana's ear, whispering in a smooth, seductive way. "I know all about that little Fi of yours, and I must say I'm jealous. Her though process is so complex and realistic." He let out a breath of cold air, running his hand down Cana's arm. "Have you ever wondered, perhaps, how realistic she might actually be… physically speaking?" There was an awkward pause as he backed away, giving a graceful bow. "Well, ta ta." With that, and a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

"Master…" Fi floated over timidly, kneeling to ground to exam his wound. "I apologize for not arrive sooner… I will accept any punishment you see fit to improve my efficiency as your servant."

His head feeling light, blood running down his leg, and utterly confused, all he managed to get out was "Later." Before falling to the ground, exhausted.


	13. Interlude I: The Good Girl

**Author Notes: ** I think B sharp is a good one for today

She watched, and waited.

The room was silent as she floated there, kneeling with her knees just above the ground, eyes locked on her master's form. His face tired, emotionless, eyes closed in painful sleep. It had been hours since he'd made a sound, or really bled, the only sign of his continued life the steady rising and falling of his chest, and the glow of his skin.

She wanted to touch him… oh, did she want to touch him. The urge was gripping her mind, hand straying forward on more than one occasion. To feel his pulse, to exam his wounds, to fix the damage she'd brought to him… but she couldn't. Every time she drew close, her arm snatched itself back, her chest heaving as the cold brushed her again… a warning. _My decisions have brought him nothing… I will not hurt him again. _All she could do was watch, praying silently to her Creator, running the odds of his survival over and over again.

_97%... no, 98%. _From an empirical standpoint, his wounds where hardly anything to be this worried about; the odds where there would be some muscular damage to the leg, a few days bed rest with the right medicine… but even now, that accursed allocation error would not leave her be. She'd actively assaulted it every time it came, driving it back into the depths for a time… but it only appeared with greater force when it returned, bringing a pressure to her chest almost as painful as the cold.

It had been nearly eight hours since the battle, the sunlight having long since fallen behind the horizon. Yet, here she was, helpless in her duties. _Searching for acceptable course of action… _the pain grew worse and worse… she refused to put up with it much longer, programed punishment or fault. Though her body remained still, her mind flew into a whirlwind of activity, scraping together every bit of instruction she had ever received, searching for something she could do.

_A dog could do your job better, if you ask me._

That mocking still stung at her, a violation of her most basic directive. After he'd said that… she'd felt completely broken, suddenly calling her entire being into question. She was entirely at his mercy, her control over even her own body gone. Yet, when Master Cana had called her, all that pain dissipated. She'd regained her composure, forcing away the fear and pain and coming to face the world again. _Flawed or not… Master wanted me. _

That thought alone brought back a glow to her skin, making the room just a little bit brighter. "I will perform better, Master." She promised aloud, placing herself on the ground entirely. Then, without a single thought, she leaned over, softly licking her Master's face.

It was only a moment later she saw the slightest hint of color, his eyes opening just a crack. Embarrassment feedback flaring once again, she immediately levitated away, keeping to her knees and keeping a close look at his eyes. Slowly, the crack widened, first in his left eye, then his right, a low groan rattling from his throat as he lifted up a hand to shield his eyes. In her mind, she was recording the way her Master awoke, like she would record a monster's combat attributes. _Eyes open one at a time, followed by early signs of unconscious activity. Then the limbs are stretched, to relieve stiffness, followed by a cracking of the neck. _For some reason, she found this all fascinating, each detail a new surprise.

"Fi," she heard him say, voice slightly dry. "What happened? Did I win?" His eyes where a little empty, still trying to gain focus, as he slowly shifted himself in his seat.

"You were indeed victorious Master," she pounced on his command, newly invigorate. "The Demon Lord Ghirahim fled slightly before you lost consciousness. You have been sitting here for exactly 8 hours, 7 minutes, and 49 seconds. Is there anything else you desire?" She never let their eyes part as he slowly sat up, pushing through the pain he was visibly feeling, right arm extending to the center of the room. "That thing there… could you fetch it?" He requested, most of his body still limp.

Dutifully, Fi turned herself around, locating the object of her Master's query. She did a quick mental search to identify it. _Heart Container, an enchanted object which is produced spontaneously after the defeat of an extremely powerful entity of darkness. Contains a store of raw vitality which permanently fortifies the user against damages. _Without a word, she floated as fast as her legs could carry her over to it, resting the weight of the emblem in her arms. It wasn't particularly heavy; her sensors put it at about 20 lbs, but with her fragile form, it was a heavy burden. She placed it reverently into her Master's lap, backing away to a respectful distance, watching with baited breath she waited to record its magic.

Master rested his hand on the container, taking a deep breath. The light started slowly, a cornea around the heart's surface, but it slowly expanded into a dome of light, the pure energy flowing out of the shell and into his body. As it did, his wounds rapidly began to heal; the bruises vanished into thin air, the gash in his leg quickly pulled itself together, his tight muscles swelled slightly with power. Even his eyes, tired and droopy, quickly shot up and glowed, shining with raw magical energy. Then, slowly as it began, the light began to fade, leaving behind a young man, completely undamaged, standing triumphantly.

"Yahoo!" He yelled voice energetic and joyful. "That was some really good stuff. I feel like I could lift a house!" He flexed his arm muscles to emphasis the point, which actually looked a little bigger than they did before.

_Reaction noted… recording secondary objective; collect Heart Containers. _The joy on her Master's face was all she needed to see, her own turning to a big smile along with it. _Changing recorded definition of perfection… _wait, she hadn't authorized that command. Still, it felt like it had come at the perfect time, and so she merely brushed it off, floating contently at her Master's side.

After a moment, though, Master stopped, his brow creasing with seriousness. "Wait a minute… Zelda!" He pressed the flat of two fingers into his forehead. "You said I was out for how long?" He looked over at her questioningly.

"8 hours, 7 minutes, and 49 seconds Master," she responded, still holding onto her smile. " However, you still are approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes under the required level of sleep for a human male of your age group from over the course of the last 4 days."

"Oh, come on," he pounded his fist in the air, visibly angry… pulling the happiness right from her face. "We've got to get going." Quickly, he set his way towards the door on the other side of the room, the solid surface fading as he approached it, and exited into the pale moonlight. It was surprising how quickly he had changed, the way he was dedicating himself to this. Of course, she dutifully followed him, hovering a few steps back, as the crisp night air swept over them.

They emerged into a tranquil garden, the soft babbling of waterfalls accompanying the cricket's chirping. Great pillars rose among a bed of flowers, giving the place a certain regality. The moonlight was dancing across both the water and her skin, making the glade appear as though it itself shown. For some reason, it seemed to settle a heavy calm over both of them, Master's face unclenching as he looked about in mild wonder.

"Its… amazing," he thought aloud, turning his head so he could capture the whole place. "It's so pure." He took a deep breath of the air, holding it in his lungs for a few precious moments before releasing it. Whatever sort of hold the spring held on him, however, what caught both of their attentions was the shrine at the far side; a small likeness of the Goddess Hylia, standing protectively over her symbol. She found herself subtly drawn to it… the memory of her mother's unwounded face floating back to the surface. It was so perfect, she refused to defile the place with speech, merely observing her Master as he moved forward, unsheathing his blade.

She felt the warm rush of power as he called up on the Skyward Strike, the movements of his hand subtly felt on her skin, guiding her to her proper place. She could feel the power in his downward stroke, the way the warmth left her in a pleasant wave. Then, she watched as the Goddess Symbol took it, spinning around like another she remembered, not so long ago.

Then, the voice came.

It echoed across the edge of her mind, playing out in ancient Hyliean tongue. The words seemed to come from the mouth of the Goddess statue, vaguely resembling the tone of her mother, except in a more masculine tone. Drawn to its power, she floated over the Goddess Statue, ripples forming on the surface of the water as she landed, looking out at her Master.

"Fi," he asked her, soft and still. "What is it?"

"Hyzli Oje Zi Na…" She stopped herself, catching the sentence in her throat, realizing she had spoken in Ancient Hyliean. Her legs crossed one another before she continued. "My greatest apologies Master. I have a message in the langue of the gods of old. Would you like me to translate for you?"

Master placed the sword back in her sheath, merely watching the ripples she made. "Go on, speak."

She centered herself before she began… the combination of his voice and her mother's bringing up a strange desire. She wanted to impress, to prove herself to both of them… to be beautiful. Her whole body coursed with energy as she bent herself over, preparing the most artistic display she was programed with.

All of her inhibitions where broken, conscious thought gone, as she let her body run free, spinning and leaping with all the grace she could muster. Feet never touching the water, she turned the whole pool into her stage, embracing the burning desire within her. The words that came from her mouth hardly seemed her own, coming in her own voice as they sounded from her head. "From the edge of time I guide you, the one chosen to carry out the goddess's mission." Her body propelled itself across the surface of the water, legs moving in an intricate dance. "The spirit maid who descended from the clouds must travel to two sacred places to purify her body. "You stand in one of these places; Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring." She found herself hurling around the spring's alter, ending in a glorious spin, forcing herself on with all of her strength. "This second spring is hidden away deep within the scorched earth of Elden. The spirit maiden, ever mindful of the heavy task entrusted to her, has set out for this second sacred place. "The fire within her only grew stronger, its bindings tighter. She felt as if she could dance forever, for her mother and her Master, the feeling literally burning out from her belly. Indeed, she was propelling herself around for another lap when Master held up his hand firmly, singling her to stop. Down from the Goddess Statue came another stone tablet, long and worn, a perfect garnet embedded in the rock. 

For a moment, she just stood there, looking at his face, waiting for some judgment. Master shifted the tablet beneath his arm, smiling softly as she cocked her head, walking closer until he was right in front of her, looking down into her eyes. "Such a good girl," he complimented her, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing slightly. "You really looked beautiful out there."

_Resource Allocation Error 01 Detected!_ The alarm in her brain rang out, embarrassment rising.

"I am truly honored to have pleased you Master," she managed to get out, her tone slightly rushed, before she leaped back into the sword, shacking a little bit in her frame.

_I make an adequate dog_ she thought to herself, cradling the fire in her belly. _But perhaps there is something to be said for being a girl. _


	14. Chapter XII: Going Homeward

**Author Notes: None**

_Dear Diary,_

The candlelight flickered as she put the words to the paper, the night winds flowing through the open windows. The hand was shivering slight, delicate milky skin paler than normal.

_I went to pick up a few supplies at the Bazaar today. It was surprising to see that place so quiet for once, the music silenced. People just haven't been the same lately. Even Rupin's delightful smile was missing…. it almost makes me want to sit down and cry. _

_Father has been doing, I wouldn't exactly say good, but well. He's been tinkering in his vials so much lately I've had to bring meals out to the lab. There's defiantly something major going on in there, but I'm sure I could never understand what. He still gets his job done, and that's the important thing._

_Five days since I last saw him, diary... and I'm scared. Where could he have gotten off to? I'm probably worrying to much, but I know I'm not. I don't know how, or why… I just know something wrong. If only Fluffy wasn't up with her broken wing…_

_Anyways, _a few tiny hearts and birds where written here, a smile creeping onto a nearby face. _I hope thing will get better soon._

_-Your friend,_

_Airiyl._

* * *

><p>There was just something magical about flying by night.<p>

The whole world just seemed to stand still, sure and silent. The Skyrocks had long dug into their little nooks, the lights on the island were dimmed, and even the ordinary bird traffic was non-existent. It was just you, your Loftwing, and that great, pale moon.

Of course, there were always the Knights flying about, the awkward headgear on their Loftwings making the swaying beams of light around the edges of the main island. For most people, once one of those caught the bright plumage of their bird, they were flown back to land, alongside a good chastising. But, if you wore dark, baggy clothes and your Loftwing had just the right tone of feathers, you were virtually invisible. Which, as it happened, was exactly the way he wanted it.

The long, muffled flaps surrounded him as Cana flew lazily along, keeping his grip loose as he flew farther and farther from the tower of light. It was interesting how alien it seemed to him now, after his time on solid ground. Yet, still so familiar. His brief separation from it only added to its wonder as he sailed into the night, the torchlight of the city coming into focus before him.

His Loftwing swooped around the rock edges, flying low to avoid the patrolling Sky Knights. Pleasant memories drifted back to the games he'd played with this, seeing who could last the longest without being caught. It seemed so long ago now, back when they weren't all training at the academy, back when Link was alive…

That thought drove nostalgia from his heart, replacing it was grief. _Link…. _His death scene played out in his mind once again, the rock falling, smashing his skull and sending blood into the air, shimmering red in the black background…

Then the blood started to warp, sinking into the darkness, absorbing it, wiggling and shifting. It folded over onto itself, framing shadowy scales, and those scales came together, forming into a massive, gapping maw…

Cana shook the vision from his head, focusing back on his flight. The Loftwing seemed to know exactly where it was going, from its years of practice, a small island just off Skyloft proper floating right before them. There was small house set onto it, painted stones like the rest, a plot of mushrooms blooming to the stars, their wet, rotting scent wafting in on the breeze. Through the windows, he could see a dim light, the shutters open… and he knew where he was. Home.

He pulled in on his Loftwing, the bird's flaps growing slower and longer as it turned forward, slowing itself down at his single. He landed on the island with a gentle spring, his bird settling itself back onto its legs. "It's good to see you again, boy." He gave the bird a nice rub on the neck, feeling the down between his fingers. He flopped himself onto the ground, letting his legs get used to carrying himself again, before heading over to the door, gently pushing the aged wood open.

The hinges creaked slightly as he let himself in, his heart glad to see something familiar. It was a fairly simple house, a lot like anybody else's; the washing basin and stove on the far wall, a stable wooden table in the center, a couple of beds set off to the side, and a few shelves for assorted knick-nacks. Still, there were things that made it home. A flowerbed sat under the windowsill, with sweet-smelling tulips to help dull the premating mushroom scent. The glass on the windows was slightly cracked, giving them an oddly dark tinge. Above the stove, a few pictures hung precariously on their nails; a faded painting of one of his relatives, a still portrait of him with his Loftwing, a something else he could never quite make out. Then, of course, there was the desk, iron-legged and priceless, sitting just the right of their front window.

He took in the clean, woody smell of his home, feeling the weight slowly come off his shoulders. How long had it been since he'd been here? Four, five days? It felt like it had been so much longer.

"Hmm?" A small sound interrupted him, causing him to turn his head over towards it.

"Cana!" Airiyl's eyes lit up as she caught sight of her brother standing there, pulling herself up from the chair and rushing over to him, arms wrapping around his waist and holding tightly. She almost felt like she was sinking into him, letting herself indulge her heart. "You're back! Father and I where getting so worried."

She felt his arm take her around the back, holding her to him. All the worries she'd had before, quickly flew to the breeze as she kept her thin body to his, revealing in the warmth of human touch. "I've been a bit busy, long story." He spoke non-chaluntly, keeping cool. "In fact, it's a three day long story, and not even close to done. It's just nice to be home."

She held on for a brief bit longer, before his arm left her back, firmly releasing her grip around him. Even though he'd hardly been gone long, there was something different about him, the extra muscle, perhaps? Of course, it really didn't matter; he was back and safe, and that was all she really needed to know. "What is it?" She asked, begging a bit as curiosity got the best of her. " Did you find a monster, or a big island?"

He chuckled a bit at this, rubbing her wavy auburn hair playfully. "Well, sort of." He looked off slightly, as if remembering something, the faint smell of sweat clinging to him. "It's an interesting story, really. You'll really like it." He plopped himself down on the bed, pressing down his ruffled hair, patting his lap for her to sit down. Quickly, she settled herself in, light blue skirt hanging over her knees, leaning her back into his shoulder.

"Well, a few nights ago , I was out with Knight Master Eagus, carrying one of party drunks home, when all of a sudden we spot a blue light in the distance…"

Airiyl listened contently as her brother went on and on with his story, watching his expressions and gestures as he told of falling through the clouds, fighting off ugly beasts, a gentle giant made of stone, the giant tree-fields, and more. It all sounded like one of the fairy tails she still liked to read to help her get to sleep at night… despite the fact that a girl her age should have outgrown them by now. She watched with rapt attention, here emotions swinging from fear to happiness of confusion, at times. It all was too wonderful to be true… nobody could really get to the surface. But, she knew she could trust him, she always could.

"And so she did the most amazing dance I'd ever seen, flipping and jumping, before telling me Zelda had gone to some place called Earth Spring, and gave me this magical stone." He reached over into his back, pulling out a grey slab, traced with something that looked vaguely like jagged lines, a ruby sitting in the center. "Is that really true? The surface and the temple and all of it?" She asked, still not fully convinced.

Of course, he just responded with another little laugh, planting a brotherly kiss on her forehead. "Of course it is. Do you think I tore this shirt up myself?" She allowed him to set her back onto the bed, watching him stretch his back and yawn loudly. "Now, where's dad? He really should see me too."

"Father didn't want to be disturbed tonight," she thought back to when she'd brought him dinner, his face hidden behind that silly work mask of his, focusing trancelike on the dusts and spoors he was mixing. "You know how many ways a Loftwing can get injured, and he has to find the cure for every single one."

"Of course," her brother accepted with a simple nod, brushing the dirt from his own face. "He's got a job to do." She could see the clear annoyance on his face, or was it pain? Whatever it was, she didn't like it. "We both really should be getting to sleep anyways. I've got to get going in the morning."

"Really?" Airiyl frowned when she heard this, her heart sinking. "But, you just got back. Can't you stay, for a little while?" She tried giving him doe eyes, begging with her voice… really wanting to spend a little time with him again.

"Somehow, I don't think the man who's chasing Zelda is going to wait a day." He spoke to her like he did when she did something wrong, just laying down the facts in a gentle voice. In a way, that made her feel worse than if he were to yell at her, like father did. "I'll be back once she's safe, ok? Your big brother has everything under control." Pulling the sword and back from his back, Cana laid himself down on the bed, taking deep breaths as she continued to stand there, hands gripping to the hem of her skirt.

"Can I…" she stopped, trying not to sound scared. "Its just, I'd really sleep better if…"

She didn't even have to finish the sentence before he pulled himself back up, pulling the ragged great shirt up from over his head and plopping it next to the bed. "Sure I'll give you a good-night kiss, sweetling." He leaned up and gave her a short, wet peck on the cheek, before dropping back down, closing his eyes. "Now, get some sleep, everything is going to be fine."

She paused just a bit longer, watching his chest rise and fall beneath the quilt he pulled over himself, before moving off to her own bed, blowing out the candle on her way. For a moment, she wandered over to her bed, but fond herself stopping, a thought popping into her had. As quietly as she could, she did what she had to do before drifting into sleep, the feel of a kiss on her cheek and a calm heart in her chest. .

* * *

><p>The morning came much sooner then he'd hoped.<p>

The sun was just peaking over the clouds as he felt himself wake, a dull ache in his eyes as he forced his stiff muscles into a sitting position. Rubbing his eyes, he forced his vision away from the blurry haze of a tired brain. He groped thought he darkness for his supplies, the only light coming through the front window, barely highlighting the Goddess Sword. Slowly, he pulled things into place; the torn fabric of the greatcoat hanging loosely over his skin, the weight of the Goddess Sword in his hand, until his hand bumped into something flat, hard and cold. His brain still numb from sleep, he let whatever it was lie there, pulling himself to his feet and rubbing along the blade of the Goddess Sword. "Fi, get up." he mumbled, mentally cursing his heavy sleeping.

He heard a soft noise from the blade… a soft, pleasant hum , as Fi leaped out, looking onto him with perceptive and awakened eyes. "What is it you desire, Master?" She asked happily, her glow giving the room and ambient light.

"Ya," his mind slowly rising from sleep, he tried to sound as awake as possible. "So, where exactly is this Earth Shrine place?"


	15. Chapter XIII: I'm Only Skyloftian

**Author Notes: This is a pretty good length chapter… though its more of a series of short chapters than anything else. **

**Also, I'd like to make review's request; Who's POV would you like to see? Ghirahim's? Zelda's? Airiyl's? Maybe Gorko's? Just curious on what people are hoping for.**

"Master," Fi floated next to him as he watched the ruby in the slab, its old surface now glowing with an inner light. "I have confirmed the location of a second opening in the cloud barrier. It is located in the skies to the northeast. This opening will allow you access to a new area of the surface."

Cana found himself only vaguely listening, the different parts of his body pulling for his attention. His stomach rumbled with a long-belayed hunger, tickling away at his belly. Rank smells ran up his nose, the salty stiffness of dried sweat covering his body. Even his arm had a piece in the conflict, a dull ache reminding him of the wounds that had been there. "How on earth did Zelda move so fast?" He mumbled to himself as her turned around, taking a few steps back towards the exit. "What makes it so easy for an unarmed, unguided girl to make it through a monster-infested woods and a trapped temple?" Fi followed at his side as he continued along, ending with a sigh. "I've got a few things I need to do first." He said loud enough for her to hear, stepping out into the sunlight of a new day.

"Of course, Master," Fi accepted, the sunlight shimmering across her skin, highlighting her shape. "Would you like me to make a list for you?"

"Sure," Cana smiled a little as he took in the color of the town… a tamed beauty that easily surpassed the raw wilderness of the surface. The pumpkin's in their little rows, the well-set walls of painted brick, the light noise of humanity, everything in its place. Knowing this was here, whenever he needed it, made the idea of going make the surface a little less frightening. "We'll need to pick up a shield, so I don't lose my arm. I'll also need to bring food, and maybe a potion." He started numbering them off on his fingers, Fi looking forward as she recorded the words. "Maybe grab a bath too. I'm starting to reek." That last part solicited a chuckle… stories never mentioned the hero taking baths unless it was with beautiful woman or the pool was magical. Heck, they never even mention the ordinary days in Skyloft. "Anyway, we'll leave when I'm done."

Fi floated still for a moment, before her eyes grew bright again, focused back on the world. "Intelligent choices, master. Injuries and unsanitary conditions will lead to a great risk of infection, and hunger will reduce the efficiency of both your mind and body." She sounded so matter-of-fact, voice stiff, that he had to suppress a big smile, walking down the stairs towards the bazar."

"I'm only Skyloftian, Fi." Cana managed to get out without laughing, his stress floating away on the breeze, the new crimson pillar only a distant reminder of the task ahead of him. "Now, let me show you what Skyloft is really like."

* * *

><p>The Bazaar was a rather upbeat today… perhaps a little forced, but people seemed to be genuinely embracing the beautiful day. The place was lit by its multi-colored lanterns, but you could still see the sunlight through the quilted roof, giving the place a natural glow. The potions bubbling to the side had their scents mixed with that of spiced soup and wood smoke, giving the place a sharp, earthy aroma. Could Fi smell it? Cana wasn't sure, but he really felt sorry for her if she couldn't. He could see Gondo beating away in his stall, Peatrice lazing off, as usual… to be honest, nothing appeared to have changed. So, taking a few steps to the right, Cana walked up to Rupin's stall, the smiling salesmen coming up with great haste.<p>

"Hello, good sir!" Rupin scuttled over, hands clenched before him. "What can I do for such a valuable customer today?"

"Well," Cana started, feeling around his wallet to get an idea of what he had to spend. "I need to pick up something for protection. You know, to keep the teeth away at night." The rupees slipped though his fingers as I talked, scanning the merchandise on the counter.

"I've got just the thing!" He darted over to the far side of his stall, picking up a nice, rectangular shield, the metal dark grey and speckled with bird's footprints. "A very sturdy iron shield, specially built to be super extra durable. Plus, you don't need to worry about a stray torch catching it on fire!" His hands gave a sweep over the surface, displaying the workmanship. "It's only 100 rupees, a real steal. So, what do you think?"

Cana looked down to investigate the shield, feeling the cold sheet on his palm. "100 rupees, hm?" His hand started dumping the contents of his wallet onto the table, the tiny gemstones making a mosaic of green and blue and red. "Just let me count it out." His attention focused on the currency, piling up worth of 10. Just as he was finishing, however, he heard Rupin grunt, his arm pulling back to his body. It was only then he noticed Fi was floating behind him, looking over his shoulder at the shopkeeper.

"Well, you're friend is a sensitive one, isn't she?" He asked politely, rubbing one hand with the other. "I was just captured by that wonderful skin of hers." Of course, this did nothing to bring her back out, Fi's form sucking the heat from his back.

"I am programed to avoid all physical interface with anybody other than my Master , Sir." Fi explained, her voice a bit worried. "I suggest Sir request Master Cana's permission before repeating his actions."

Rupin took one more step back, visually a bit insulted, but Cana quickly stepped in. "You're right, she is pretty sensitive. " He said apologetically. "100 rupees, right?" The crystals tinkled against one another as they dropped into the counter, Rupin's hand darting out to grab it and stuff it into his pockets.

"Ahaa, thank you for your loyal and continued patronage, friend." He gave a bow as he reclosed his hands. " Do enjoy your purchase now, and your lady friend." With another bow, he excused himself into the back, searching though his piles for another Iron Shield.

"I'm sure I will," he responded warmly, gently leading Fi away as he walked further into the Bazaar, leaving that stall behind him. He turned to Fi after a few steps, gesturing for her to follow him. "You don't need to be so jumpy." He told her gently, taking slow steps as he enjoyed the scenery. "He was just curious about what you were." The shield hung from its straps in his hand, heavy and still.

Fi blinked, eyes empty. "Curious. Yes, that computes." Her voice stayed emotionless, trying to puzzle it through. Cana still kept his little, secret smile under wraps, watching her go forward. She was so smart… and yet so naive.

* * *

><p>"Piper!" Cana set himself down on one of the stools in the café, waving over to the cook. "I've got an order over here."<p>

The women, face buried in her soap, turned around to face him, old but aging well. "I'll be a minute, honey." Both her hands where busy as she talked; one stirring the pot and the other adding a dash of pepper to her creation. "I'm a bit busy right now." The tables at the café where rarely full, nearly always outdone by the Lumpy Pumpkin, but it still made decent food. The only other customer at the place, actually, was Dovos, the regular, a bit of wet bread still clinging to his goatee.

"Master you currently have 3 more tasks on your list." Fi slid down into the chair next to him, trying hard to imitate his stance while hovering a few inches above the stool's surface. "Would you like me to alter the list for you?"

"Hm?" He glanced over at his spirit, her face looking straight into his. "Actually, I think I'll skip on the potion. Luv really isn't the best cook in the place, anyways." He gave a glance over at Piper, who was still in a whirl of motion, handling all the different shakers and grinders for her favorite soup.

"Whatever you wish." Her eyes blanked out for a moment… her face looking a little creepy, before she nodded. "Task completed. I assume you are attempting to obtain food?"

"Ya," Cana drummed his fingers on the table, whistling a little tune as the quite fell. After a minute or so, Dovos turned around, noticing him and waving as he stepped over, settling himself into the stool across from him. "Hey, look who's back!" He greeted Cana with a firm handshake. "And all suited up for battle, it looks like. Going to try for the knights, are you?"

Just like that, Cana's eye's darkened, the mention sending a cloud to eat away at the good feelings he'd been having. "I've been doing well," he deflected the question, taking a deep breath, almost tasting the thick soup on his tongue. "A bit busy. Your pumpkin patch in good shape?"

"We might be in for a bad batch this year… those birds just keep biting at the blossoms," he shrugged, brushing down his comb over. "But we'll get through it, always do. But," he smiled knowingly. "Don't try to dodge my question. What've you been up too?"

Just then, with the sound of a wood on wood, Piper stepped over, dropping off a hot, steaming plate of reddish soup in front Dovos, spoon and bowl both polished wood. "There you go, one Spiced Harvest, as ordered." Dovos was quick to dig into his meal, splashing some of the soup around as he dug in, a few droplets landing to stain Cana's greatcoat. "So, what are you ordering?" She asked Cana, whipping off her hands with an old rag.

"Oh," Cana looked up at her, reaching into his wallet for a fistful of rupees. "I need a few day's travel food. I'll be going on a trip." He tried to be as vague as possible, adding a few more rupees for good measure.

"Why, you just got back from one!" She snorted, picking up the colored crystals and counting them herself. "Boys your age shouldn't be running off into the blue so much. But what do I know?" She slid her payment away, pulling out a small slip of paper to write down what he'd payed for. "So, five day's travel right?" She headed over to the cupboards before he could answer, flipping open a rucksack and tossing in dried breads, jerkied meat, and a couple of stamina fruit. "So, any word on Zelda yet?" She asked as she loaded up the sack, offhanded.

"Actually, that's what I'm working on." He seized the opportunity to explain himself, looking over Fi's shoulder. "I'm following a few leads, and I think I can find her if I can check a few more places." He left it at that, Piper dropping the sack in his lap.

"Well, I guess I can approve of that." She grinned a mother's smile, lagging a few moments in her return to the stove. "A boy wanting to play the hero. If only I'd had a son like you." With that, she turned away, Dovos finishing off his soup with great slurp and dropping the bowl to the table, belching.

"You may not be the best warrior, kin," Dovos nodded as Cana stood up, strapping the shield and the food over his back. "But you've got a good mind if you can find Zelda in the massive sky we call home. Plant a kiss for me when you find her, ok?" He laughed at his own joke as Cana and Fi stepped away, looking at each other with equal confusion.

"What exactly was that about?" Cana asked rhetorically as he stepped outside once again, the birds scattering at his feet.

"Master," Fi responded, head cocked to the side like a stumped dog. "What is this thing that is referred to as a kiss?"

* * *

><p>Cana pulled up on his greatcoat as he approached Skyloft's lake, the waters moving gently in the day's light breeze. Revealing his legs, he dipped his feet into the water, nice and warm from the high suns of summer. He could almost feel the filth flowing off his feet as he kicked them slightly, letting the liquid wash around him. Slowly, he lowered his back to the ground, lying there in the grass, resting his eyes as he enjoyed the tiny waves that lapped at his knees.<p>

"Hmmm," he purred contently, the sunlight warming his face. This was the way people bathed in Skyloft; it just wasn't practical to do it any other way. The only functioning bath in the place was in the Knight Academy, for students and Knight's only, and THAT stuff was brown before the day was half over. No, people just enjoyed doing it the way nature intended; diving under the clean surface and letting the lake wash away a hard day's (or, in his case, half week's) residue.

Some people liked to splash in all at once, getting right to the swimming and making a ruckus. Cana, though, he enjoyed going in a bit at a time, savoring each moment and not attracting too much attention. Every minute or so, he'd slide just a little more in, moving the bottom of his cloths just a little farther up. Already, he'd gotten that stuffy greatcoat off, enjoying the light's caress on his chest, the muscles finally starting to show some definition. This, he thought, is what life is about, enjoying the simple things…

With all the fluid motion of a liquid, he slid himself into the water, the lake embracing him, the fresh water filling his mouth before he came up and shot it out, making a little arch in the air. He swam about a little, stopping against the back and scrub away at himself at certain points, looking down at the new scratches markings he'd picked up during his expedition into the forest. Did the Kikwi bath like this, in the lake near Skyveiw platform? Was it as nice on the surface, with the clouds between them and the sun? He liked going through these little thoughts, imagining what might be, until he noticed Fi was still floating up on shore, back turned and looking to the ground.

"Hey!" He called out, still not getting her to turn. "Fi, turn around." Her ordered with a bit of playfulness. Fi complied, stance still tight as she did, eyes turned to the ground. "Fi," he asked, somewhat forcefully, like his father did when he knew something was amiss. "What's the matter."

"Social custom dictates that one must not look at the exposed boy of the opposite sex." She stated plainly, though her face seemed to glow a little brighter. "I'm merely trying to avoid disturbing master's positive mental and emotional state with a lack of propriety. "

At that point, Cana couldn't keep the smile in any more, and broke out into a huge laugh, the grin plastering his face. She was just so cute, the way she didn't understand. "Fi, things have changed in the last few millennia, you know." He said, though his laughter. "It's not like I'm not still wearing pants on anything. Now, get in here." He pulled himself out of the water, letting the droplets fall from his hair as he reached out to touch her, the blue glow on her cheeks even brighter, taking her arm in his hand

"Master, I…" she stopped, her body not resisting as he pulled her towards the water, her free arm pulling her cloak into her. Then, she seemed to come into more of a calm, smiling along with him as he laughed. "I trust you, Master." With that, she did a swan dive into the lake, gracefully sliding into the water with only the tiniest of splashes.

When she entered, though, Cana felt something along his skin. The water seemed to grow warmer, almost pulsing with energy. The heat tingled at his body hair, as he watched Fi sit in the water with little effort. He resumed his bath as he did, the new sensation almost pleasant, letting himself float on his back, resting his lids and enjoying himself

Yet, after a few minutes, he opened his eyes and realized Fi had yet to surface. His heard stopping for a second, he quickly looked under the surface, her body blending into the gently blue of the water, until he spotted her cloak, clinging wet to her body. Driven by the shock, he swam down to grab her, pulling her body up and sputtering away the water as he pulled her head to the surface, her eyes open and alive as ever. "What on earth were you doing?" He asked, taking a few deep breaths, his heart still pounding in his chest.

Fi didn't seem shocked at all, still openly happy with her smile and a more gently glow. "Master, I must inform you that my memory banks lack any knowledge of swimming skills." She wrapped her arms around his waist to support herself, the hot pulse flowing directly from it. "I am also detecting an increasing your heart rate and a 60% increase in the tightness of your facial muscle. Have I solicited an unpleasant emotional response with my negligence?" She asked the question so purposefully, so proper, that Cana just couldn't break the streak of laughter he'd been having. When he did, though, Fi merely cocked her head again, warm against he chest as he pulled her to shore, pulling her down to lay next to him in the sun.

"Master, your responses seem to run counter to the expected logical outcome. Would you like me to register an explanation for future reference?"

He propped himself up on his elbow, looking down on Fi as she lay their stiffly in the grass. "Silly Fi, Skyloftians don't always do what's logical. We're creatures of emotions too." He playfully slapped her face, continuing his simple thought. "When something is funny, heroic, or cute, we usually ignore the fact that it's a little wrong."

"Master," Fi looked up at him, their eyes meeting. "Please define the term cute."

And he just kept on laughing.


	16. Chapter XIV: I'm Only Immortal

**Note: ****This is not the chapter I intended to put here. The actual chapter is locked away within the confines of my broken computer, which I'm finally getting fixed this Sunday. However, since I already haven't moved the game plot forward for two chapters and I'm organizing things in sets of three, I figured putting in some character's other then Fi and Cana's perspective would make things more ****interesting**

**For this logic, I blame George Martin **

There was a light drizzle in Faron woods that day. Not nessicerily what one would call rain, but more of a gentle mist , giving the entire place a hazy calm. Nearly all the woodland creatures had retreated into their burrows or nests in order to keep warm, the Kikwi taking their places inside The Great Tree. Even the wind seemed to have hidden itself away, leaving only silence to reign.

Which is, of course, exactly what Ghirahim had been waiting for.

The Demon Lord slowly walked down the ramp into The Sealed Grounds, slowly disappearing into the thickening mist. It would have been a simple feet for one such as himself to just teleport down there, of course, but where was the drama in that? Far better, he reasoned, that he should roll mysteriously out of the fog. So, he continued, playing around with his own thoughts.

There was another reason too, he had to admit; it gave him more time to think an excuse before confronting his master. After all, his well-thought scheme hadn't played out exactly as he'd hoped; that silly shell for the goddess had managed to escape his grasp, while he'd been toying with his sister and her erstwhile wielder. His pride and face still stung a little from those stupid tricks he'd pulled off. Still, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was OFF about that boy. Lord Demise had told him the Hero of the Goddess was destined to be a knight of courage and honor; similar to Hylia's temper all those years ago. This one though, the way he'd been shaken, his clumsy swordplay, and underhanded tactics… the descriptions just didn't match. This entire conundrum was just frustrating, his eyebrows furrowing as he took in a deep breath, calming that irritating temper of his.

However, he was saved from that thought as he reached the bottom of the spiral, the stone sealing spike leaking blank tendrils; tiny ones, certainly, but a sign that his Master goes growing in strength. He could feel his presence, just barely, like grip on his leg. Yes… this was right. "My Lord, I've returned." He sounded strangely reverent, perhaps because of the atmosphere.

The shadows in the soil pulsed weakly at the words, before being subdued by the seal. The light clenching spasimed, his Master making another lunge to break his chains before being forced back. "I've come to let you know that I was… so nearly successful at the Skyview temple. It was only by a few fleeting moments that she escaped your hand." Demise didn't seem to react to this; either he didn't care or, far more likely, he was incapable of punishment. "Don't judge me too harshly," he continued, twirling his hand by the wrist. "It was a matter of honor, you see. The boy wielding the Goddess's Sword was standing in my way, and it wouldn't have been gentlemanly to just leave him standing there. "

It was the first sound he'd heard all day, other than his own fabulous voice, of course. It sounded like a giant; clearly powerful, but far away, deep and faint. It was a laugh; a triumphant laugh. Ghriahim gave a questioning look to the seal at this, trying to clear out his ears. "I certainly won't judge, Master, but are you honestly HAPPY about this?"

Then, from just as far away as before, he heard Demise speak; though it was clearly a heavy burden. "Fool…" the sound of a labored breath. "You know…. nothing… " Ghriahim gave his master a polite smile, but the look in his eyes was clearly a bit distrusting. _Has he finally gone insane, trapped there like that?_

"The Hero… I watched through… his dreams…" His Master explained, the servant having to listen very carefully as the words started to fade, the shadowy marks in the dirt dissipating into the fog. "I … can not… reach his dreams… the goddesses choice is dead!" The last word had to be choked out, but Ghirahim smiled, the whole scheme of things coming together in his mind. And, with that, the binding magic took full force once again, leaving Ghirahim alone in the fog.

"Dead, hm?" Ghirahim chuckled arrogantly as he left, giving his Master time to refresh. "That doesn't sound like much of a hero to me." Even if that was the case, however, he snapped his fingers and dissolved himself, dark iron fragments piercing the veil and flying to the north. Hero or not, he still have the goddess child to deal with... and what he would do when he got his hands on her.

* * *

><p>It was dark.<p>

That was all he could say about the situation because, quite frankly, there wasn't anything else. Everything around him was like a featureless black liquid, keeping him suspended despite the fact he couldn't feel anything beneath him. Even the sound of his heartbeat, his breath, was swallowed by the darkness, leaving him alone except for the faint whispering in his head.

_Pond... Pond... Pond..._

It was the only stimulation he was getting, other then the ubiquitous darkness, but even with his full attention he couldn't make heads or tails of it. _Think man, think. _he thought to himself. _What is going on? _He tried to reach for his own thoughts, but they sat there, just out of his mental reach, broken only by a few clear sensations. A sharp pain, a red flash, a white tunnel surrounded in an icy light... and that word. Pond. He groaned mentally; it made absolutely no sense. And every time he heard it, the pain; the sharp pain came back. Over and over again; beating at his brain as if trying to knock the memories loose. He wanted it to stop... he NEEDED it to stop, and all he could think about was relief, sweet relief...

Then, almost instantly, it stopped, replaced by a ripple in the world before him. Small circles of red started to radiate out rhythmically, pulsing every second or so, and within, he saw stills of things he remembered. A golden bird, a wooden sword, a girl's smiling face, and a letter with a name on it...

"_You've met with a terrible fate." _The whispering returned to his mind, grandmotherly and sounding of a deep knowledge. "_This was... not as I deduced it would be. Something is amiss..."_

_"That's the biggest understatement I've ever heard!" _He covered his ears at the sound of the new voice, though it didn't do anything to drown out the most manly war-cry. _"A plan we spent centuries laying out; under your oh so perfect wisdom, I might add, just got obliterated because you didn't take into account a massive, extremely unstable rock! We're on the verge of loosing everything! I think that deserves a bit more emotion then amiss!" _A rather awkward silence followed, the circles pulling away into three distinct shapes; one blue, one red, and one green. "_Well, aren't you going to say anything?!" _The manely voice, it seemed, had grown tired of waiting after about 30 seconds.

An even longer pause followed, before somebody else chimed in. _"Din, behave yourself." _This one was, almost childish, sturdy and comforting. In fact, when he heard it, it actually made his core warm up, the world just a little bit brighter. _"I'm confident that Nayru will thinkof a way to get us out of this..."_

_"Think think THINK! That's all she ever does, isen't it?" _The manly voice screamed in outrage. _"She can't do anything on her own, always telling her big brother to enforce her bloody rules! "Heat this, Din" or "Shake that, Din"" _This voice, whomever they were, was trying to intimidate the first voice, although it ended up sounding so funny that He wanted to laugh, and proceeded to do so. _"And what do I get for all my work? She doesn't even tell the people my flaming gender, all so she can have her"perfect trinity". Honestly!" _The red circle started rapidly pulsing, ripples shaking.

_"It does." _The first voice interrupted, the green circle shifting between it and the red one.

_"Sisters, the boy." _the comforting voice attempted to broker peace, seemingly the only one who noticed him. "_Look, this isn't that hard to fix. I'll just breath life back into him, and he'll wake up, good as new."_

_"Impossible," _the first voice immodestly retorted. "_The Law of Life states that dead souls may not be returned to dead organic matter. This is my Law." _

_"It was your law that got us into this mess!" _The second voice (The boy thought it was Din) spat, with a liberal dosage of venom. "_And I'm sure you'd just LOVE to get YOUR precious hero back, wouldn't you Farore? Farore's hero and Nayru's assistant..." _The last part was full of bitterness.

_"Don't bring this up again..." _the pleasant voice ordered sharply.

_"No, I know how Nayru wants this set up, and I don't care if the hero hears it!" _The red circle drew closer to him, a raw fire burning in its core, burning a hole through his sight. _"It'll happen, every time. Farore will get to bless your precious hide with neigh-invisibility and blind courage. Nayru will get the fabulously honorable noble with healing magics and future-sight. And you know what happens to me?" The sphere threw off ribbons of raw energy, strong enough to rip holes in the darkness. "I'm supposed to empower whatever dark soul Demise manages to claw his way into so he won't be able to get full control! EVERY, SINGLE, TIME!" _With that, Din let our a scream of bloody murder, the boy flinching back, trying to swim away in the dark air, but to no avail._  
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"_Have some restraint, Din!_" the green orb floated over, protecting his eyes from being searing off with a solid, green glow.

"_Beings must be restrained to what they are meant to do. Power is meant to do as Wisdom tells it, nothing more._" The first voice chimed in its take. _"And our hero here is meant to live. However, he has not lived, and can not be returned to life. But he is mean to live..." _The voice started to repeat itself over and over again, and, after a few minutes, seemed to have defused the tension, the other two voices laughing with their balls coming close to one another, as if embracing.

Then, a moment later, the second voice sounded again, this time calmer, if still extremely powerful. "_Let's let him rest for now." _It suggested, the first voice going on in the background. "_I think our sister has lost herself... as I had."_

_"And we shall awaken him when we've discovered a solution" _The comforting voice agreed as the green ball floated over, gently engulfing the boy's head... why did he suddenly feel so right? So... at home?

"_Sleep Link, Sleep..." _

His eyelids started to fail him, falling once, then twice, his body growing loose as he started to loose himself. However, just as he was about to fall from consciousness, he noticed something on the edges of his vision; inky scales and a single, redish eye.

_"How nice... my dream freind is back to play..." _he giggled, mentally europhic as he faded from the conscious world, and onto the back of his dream Loftwing...


End file.
